Demolition Beginning on National Warehouse Complex
Contractor lays out schedule, plan after partial collapse.
Damaged National Warehouse building at 531 S. Water St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Demolition is moving forward on the partially collapsed National Warehouse complex on S. Water Street.
The Department of Neighborhood Services approved an emergency demolition permit Thursday, Sept. 3, for the damaged building at 531 S. Water St., clearing the way for contractor HM Brandt to begin removing the seven-story structure.
The demolition work is estimated to cost $483,000, according to the permit.
A demolition plan submitted to the city by HM Brandt president and owner Austin Brandt calls for the building to be taken down mechanically with heavy equipment, starting at the south end where a large portion of the structure collapsed Monday.
“Water cannon and spray hoses will be utilized along with integrated water system on equipment to mitigate any dust,” Brandt wrote in the plan.
The contractor intends to work from south to north.
The first phase of building demolition is scheduled for Sept. 8 and 9, with the plan saying the work is intended to “ensure safety before the holiday weekend.” Demolition of the remaining mass of the building is scheduled for Sept. 14 through Sept. 17.
Crews would then load and haul away debris, with cleanup and demobilization scheduled from Sept. 21 through Sept. 25.
The work follows the sudden collapse Monday of a substantial portion of the seven-story brick warehouse.
The collapse occurred in two phases. The southern facade and portions of the bottom three floors first fell around noon. Several hours later, the upper portion of the building collapsed, bringing down large portions of the floors below.
The structure was vacant, and no one was believed to be inside, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department. No injuries were reported. People working in an attached structure were evacuated.
DNS issued an emergency raze order after the initial collapse.
The building is part of the National Warehouse Corp. complex, a collection of aging structures used for office and storage space along S. Water Street and E. Bruce Street.
Its exact construction date is unclear in readily available city records. Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. maps from 1894 and 1910 show a structure with the same footprint, identified first as a malt house for Kraus and Merkel Malting Co. and later the American Malting Co. City assessment records assign a 1925 construction date to the multi-building property.
The structure is believed to be constructed with Cream City brick.
What caused the collapse remains unidentified.
City records indicate the 531 S. Water St. property contains approximately 136,254 square feet of building space, but that total includes at least four structures.
National Warehouse also owns the neighboring 408 E. Bruce St. property, which includes several buildings totaling approximately 98,072 square feet.
After Monday’s collapse, the city ordered a facade inspection of all structures on both properties.
The Milwaukee Police Department closed a two-block stretch of S. Water Street following the collapse, but fencing was installed Tuesday to secure the area, allowing the street to reopen.
Grafton-based attorney Robert L. Feind, Jr. is the registered agent for National Warehouse. He did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Photos
HM Brandt equipment on site at 531 S. Water St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
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