Public Museum Would Be Demolished For Major Development

A development concept for the current Milwaukee Public Museum site, 800 W. Wells St.

The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) building could be demolished and replaced with a mixed-use residential development.

MPM Inc., the non-profit that runs the museum, is building a new facility at 1310 N. 6th St. MPM will close the existing museum at 800 W. Wells St. and open the Nature and Culture Museum of Wisconsin in 2027.

The building on W. Wells Street is owned by Milwaukee County, which hired consultants in 2024 to plan for the future of the empty building. The consultants GRAEF, Bear Real Estate Group and CG Schmidt are recommending the county demolish the building and market the site for mixed-use redevelopment, according to a report from the county’s Economic Development Division.

The seven-story museum sits on a 3.7-acre parcel south of MacArthur Square. The building was completed in 1962. Additions were built in the 1990s for the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium and Discovery World, which later moved to 500 N. Harbor Dr. on Milwaukee’s lakefront. The complex is approximately 451,000 square feet and has four full floors of exhibit space.

The property is more valuable, however, without the building, according to the consultants. The museum is moving to a new location in large part because the aging building struggles with water infiltration and moisture, threatening the museum’s collections.

Reusing the building, either as a museum or through adaptive mixed-use redevelopment, was ruled out. There is no market for the massive museum complex and the building faces “insurmountable issues,” according to the report.

It estimated the building’s demolition will cost approximately $12.5 to $13.5 million. To develop the large, mixed-use residential buildings envisioned, it will cost an estimated $216 to $229 million.

“The consultant team recommends the full demolition and redevelopment option because it would deliver higher density at a lower cost per unit versus adaptive reuse and allows for a greater tax base for the County,” the report stated.

The consultants estimated the site could bear up to 555 housing units. The goal is to create a development with market rate, affordable, workforce and student housing units. The consultants mocked up three development concepts, each with street level retail space and underground parking.

The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 previously identified the site for high-density, mixed-use redevelopment in the 2040 Downtown Plan. The city plan envisions extending N. 8th Street another block north of W. Wells Street.

The county Economic Development Division plans to start marketing the site for redevelopment and issue a request for proposals in mid-2026.

Redevelopment Concepts

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