A Flurry of Expansion Plans for Milwaukee Arts Institutions

Buoyed by a strong economy and robust fundraising, a wide variety of arts institutions in Milwaukee want to remodel or relocate to new buildings. Here's a look at some of their plans.

1 minute read

June 1, 2018, 11:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Milwaukee Riverwalk

Payton Chung / flickr

In Milwaukee, Jeramey Jannene writes, "The greater downtown building boom extends to more than new apartment complexes. Four of the city's largest arts and culture organizations are in the process of constructing new buildings or additions. A number of other major projects are waiting in the wings."

"The most notable project is without a doubt the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's $80 million plan to transform the empty Warner Grand Theatre into a music hall." Other plans include a new building for the Milwaukee Ballet, an addition to science and technology center Discovery World, and additional improvements to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which recently completed an addition of its own.

"Two other projects are in their early stages. VISIT Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Center District are planning a $200 million expansion of the convention center and the Milwaukee Public Museum is in the early stages of planning an entirely new building."

Jannene ascribes all this energy to a booming stock market, changing demographics, and the need to attract new audiences.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 in Urban Milwaukee

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive