Public Museum Would Be Demolished For Major Development

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...

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Leo’s notes: Milwaukee’s soon-to-be-vacant Public Museum site could become one of the most consequential housing opportunities in the region. With museum operations moving to the new Nature and Culture Museum of Wisconsin in 2027, consultants are recommending the county demolish the aging, structurally failing Wells Street complex and open the 3.7-acre site to high-density, mixed-use residential development. Early concepts show the potential for up to 555 new homes, including market-rate, workforce, affordable, and student housing — a transformative scale at a moment when Milwaukee’s housing shortage continues to deepen. As Milwaukee County prepares to issue an RFP in mid-2026, this project represents exactly the kind of site where bold housing investments can reshape opportunity for the next generation.