Eighteen floors above downtown Milwaukee, a steel beam swings around the northeast corner of Northwestern Mutual’s North Office Building, where it’s met by two ironworkers extended several feet from the building ready to fasten it.
The beam will give the 18-story building’s eastern facade a signature curve that will match that of NM’s 32-story main office tower one block south, as part of a $500 million project to transform the north building into a miniature version of the Tower and Commons.
One year into construction, the North Office Building’s interior has been gutted and its granite facade has been stripped. Once steelwork is completed, a glass curtain will be added to the building next year.
Having seen no delays in construction so far, the building is set to reopen in 2027. Construction work is being led by Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co., in partnership with Milwaukee-based CG Schmidt Inc.
The project prepares the financial services giant to move about 2,000 workers to downtown Milwaukee from its campus in Franklin. Upon completion of the North Office Building, Northwestern Mutual’s downtown campus will be able to house up to 9,000 employees. The company has a current workforce of 8,000 corporate employees, mostly spanning Milwaukee, Franklin and New York City.
