Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
30
November
2022
|
10:16 AM
America/Chicago

American Family to sell downtown Milwaukee building

Summary

Pandemic decreases need for office space; company’s commitment to city remains strong.

American Family Insurance announced today the Mandel building in downtown Milwaukee, which the company purchased in Dec. 2019, will be listed for sale.

American Family had planned a significant renovation project to turn the historic building located on N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive adjacent to the Deer District into a multi-purpose office space. The project was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluating real estate portfolio

“When the pandemic opened up options for how and where employees work, it meant American Family,Grasee like so many other companies, had to evaluate our real estate footprint and the space we need for the future,” said Kari Grasee, American Family vice president of business and workplace services. “We’ve since developed a plan for our real estate portfolio, based on careful consideration of many factors such as business and space needs, lease terms and current building use.”

As a result, the company determined it did not need as much office space in downtown Milwaukee. The company continues to assess its space needs for Milwaukee, including the possibility of leasing any office space that may be required.

Alternate uses for the Milwaukee location were explored, including donating the building to a local nonprofit organization.

Commitment to Milwaukee is strong and ongoing

Though American Family won’t have a large office building in downtown Milwaukee, its commitment to the city remains strong and visible.

During the past five years, American Family has entered into meaningful partnerships and made investments of more than $10 million in the city – from educational programs to small business support and healthy youth development – with having community impact in Wisconsin’s largest city among the company’s highest priorities. (This $10 million for broad support of programs in Milwaukee does not include naming rights for Summerfest or American Family Field, which are additional investments.)

The Summerfest and Milwaukee Brewers sponsorships both include elements of community support such as the Let The Music Play grant program that provides funds for music education, and the Fearless Dreamer Scholarship by American Family Insurance and Milwaukee Brewers to assist graduating high school seniors from Milwaukee in pursuing STEM degrees in higher education.

Nakielski“We continue to partner with key local organizations and Milwaukee-area universities and colleges to support youth and adults with gaining access to opportunities, with an emphasis on closing racial equity gaps while lifting and investing in community assets,” said Leana Nakielski, American Family director of community and social impact in Milwaukee. “We deeply value our partners and remain committed to driving positive societal impact well into the future.”

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About the American Family Insurance group
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 251 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America Insurance. Across these companies the group has more than 13,000 employees nationwide.