MILWAUKEE — Crews began demolishing one of three buildings on Tuesday to make space for a brand-new $240 million facility for the Milwaukee Public Museum, just across the street from the Deer District.
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The first building to be demolished is at 1340 N. 6th St. Next, crews will move their wrecking balls onto two other buildings on McKinley Avenue, according to OnMilwaukee.
When all three buildings are gone, builders will have 2.4 acres of space for the new MPM facility. The museum opened in 1884. Its current location, 800 W. Wells St., is its fourth location.
The county has cobbled together millions of dollars to fund the project. The plan is for the new building to replace the museum's deteriorating facility down the street at James Lovell and Wells.
“The reason we picked this site is because it's so accessible to everyone in the community, right off I-43, north side neighborhoods, south side neighborhoods. This is a really monumental site for the Public Museum and will offer great visibility to the museum but also a wonderful welcome to the city,” said Milwaukee Public Museum's chief planning officer, Katie Sanders.
They hope the new building is finished by 2026. They have more than 4 million items to move from building to building.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for late next year.
