Broadway Connection office building lands Husch Blackwell as anchor tenant

One of Milwaukee's largest law firms will be the anchor tenant in a nine-story office building to be developed on downtown's east side.

Husch Blackwell has agreed to lease the top three floors of the building, which J. Jeffers & Co. plans to develop at 511 N. Broadway.

Construction is to begin in spring on the $50 million development, known as Broadway Connection. It is scheduled for completion during the third quarter of 2020.

Husch Blackwell will lease its new office space, totaling more than 71,000 square feet, for a term of 15½ years.

The law firm is now at the Cathedral Place office building, 555 E. Wells St.

Husch Blackwell’s Milwaukee office has approximately 100 lawyers and paralegals, with an additional 80 administrative staffers.

The firm inherited its current location in 2016 when it merged with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, which had occupied that space since Cathedral Place opened in 2003.

J. Jeffers & Co., led by Joshua Jeffers, proposed Broadway Connection in September.

The building's name is a reference to its location along a line of the new Milwaukee streetcar, known as The Hop.

Broadway Connection will have around 153,000 square feet of office space on the upper floors, with the lower floors featuring a parking garage.

Also, there will be space for a possible restaurant and other retail uses on the street level totaling 8,500 square feet.

Jeffers initially planned to develop apartments at that site, now a parking lot. He switched to an office building in hopes of landing Husch Blackwell.

Husch Blackwell’s new offices will be able to accommodate more people despite occupying less space. The firm now leases more than 80,000 square feet on four floors at Cathedral Place.

That's because newly built office space can be designed exactly to the firm's specifications, said Jack Enea, managing partner for the firm's Milwaukee office.

That means more efficient operations and more amenities, he said.

The new offices will include natural light, a firm cafe, a wellness room, enhanced video conference rooms and new ergonomic office furniture.

Other advantages will include ample parking, the capability to place a sign on the building's exterior and a location along The Hop, Enea said.

The firm's decision to anchor Broadway Connection "is a powerful signal of Husch Blackwell’s commitment to the city of Milwaukee,” said Chief Executive Paul Eberle, who's based in Milwaukee.

Broadway Connection becomes the latest new downtown office development to pull an anchor tenant from an older downtown building.

The 25-story BMO Tower, under construction at 790 N. Water St., has two anchor tenants: BMO Harris Bank, now located in its namesake building at 770 N. Water St.; and Michael Best & Friedrich, which will move from the 100 East office tower, 100 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Also, the 18-story 833 East opened in 2016 at 833 E. Michigan St. It is anchored by Godfrey & Kahn, which moved from the BMO Harris building.

Jeffers' other properties include two historic office buildings on the same block as Broadway Connection. 

They are the recently renovated Mitchell Building, 207 E. Michigan St., and the Mackie Building, 225 E. Michigan St., which includes the Grain Exchange Room banquet venue and Mackie Flats apartments.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.