The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation is expanding its real estate presence both literally and figuratively.
The business development arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin, announced Friday that it has signed a new lease for 18,357 square feet of office space at the 833 East Michigan office building in downtown Milwaukee.
The new space will accommodate the growth of PBDC subsidiary companies, like construction management firm Greenfire Management Services, Wgema Leasing and a new electric vehicle (EV) business unit, a Friday press release states, as well as the expansion of the corporation’s real estate development group.
“This office expansion prepares us for expected growth among several of our subsidiary companies, while also representing a significant milestone for our company and our owners, the Forest County Potawatomi Community, as it coincides with our 20th anniversary,” Randy Mueller, chief executive officer PBDC, said. “We are excited to establish a strong presence in Milwaukee’s central business district as it further demonstrates our commitment and dedication to being an active and engaged part of the community.”
Mark Irgens, whose company developed and owns the 88 East Michigan building, located at 833 E. Michigan St., said “having PBDC join the tenant roster at 833 East brings us a high-quality occupier which further enhances” the 358,962-square-foot, 18-story Class A office building.
“We welcome the addition of this growing team to our community,” said Irgens, chief executive officer of Irgens.
PBDC will continue to maintain office space in the Bgemagen Building on the Wgema Campus on Milwaukee’s west side, where it has been headquartered since 2011. The space at 833 East Michigan will house PBDC’s new real estate group, Sagewind Development, PBDC’s retail operations and the company’s EV business unit.
“We are seeing tremendous growth opportunity right now and are positioned well to leverage each of our business units in ways that complement one another,” said Mueller.
PBDC launched Sagewind Development to focus on developments in southeastern Wisconsin and to leverage opportunities among other subsidiaries. The company is led by Andy Wiegman, a 20-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry.
PBDC Retail is led by David Lloveras, who prior to joining the company, spent more than 30 years in the convenience/retail industry. PBDC currently operates travel center locations in Crandon and Carter, Wisconsin, is finalizing a prototype for future stores, and is identifying sites for growth along high traffic corridors around the state.
The EV business unit launched last summer, and Dan Montague is the strategy director for the company. The company is focused exclusively on researching and deploying offerings in the emerging electric vehicle technology space to establish a set of commercially viable initiatives and products, the press release states.
“With big plans for our next decade, we see the opportunity to expand our office presence to include the Near West Side and downtown Milwaukee as a great step for our future,” said Mueller.
Established as the economic development and income diversification business of the Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC), the PBDC currently employs more than 1,000 people across the United States.
