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County begins due diligence on Milwaukee Public Museum site at 800 W. Wells; Grafe-led team hired
Summary
The county’s economic development division has begun a due-diligence study of the Milwaukee Public Museum site at 800 W. Wells Street. A consultant team led by Grafe (with CG Schmidt) was selected to evaluate existing conditions and produce up to three development scenarios; deliverables are expected by year-end.
Milwaukee County’s Department of Administrative Services said on April 8 that it has begun a due-diligence and development-options study for the Milwaukee Public Museum site at 800 W. Wells Street.
Celia Benton, director of economic development for the department, said the county issued a request for proposals in August 2024 and engaged a consultant team described in the presentation as the Grafe team together with CG Schmidt. The consultant team will document existing conditions at the site (a complex property that is physically connected to highway ramps and the McArthur Square surface lot), prepare up to three future-use scenarios, and analyze alignment with the city’s Downtown Plan 2040 and the community’s needs.
Benton said the consultants will assess potential impacts to the county and will consider compatibility with city planning, park or green-space implications, and likely fiscal outcomes. Deliverables are expected by the end of the calendar year; Benton emphasized this work is due diligence and that no decisions have been made about the property. She also told the committee the consultant scope is in the “hundreds of thousands” of dollars and staff will return with specific findings and recommendations when complete.
Why it matters: The museum site is a high-profile downtown parcel with substantial constraints and opportunities. A careful technical and planning analysis will inform county decisions about the property’s long-term use.
Committee action: Informational only; staff will return with consultant findings by year-end.
