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401 W Michigan St

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Property Record

401 W Michigan St

Historic Name:

Other Name:
Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Wisc. Corp. Hdqts.

Reference Number:
115085

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Property Location

Location (Address)

401 W Michigan St

County

Milwaukee

City/Village

Milwaukee

Township

Unincorporated community

Town

Range

Direction

Section

Quarter Section

Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built

1973

Additions

1977

Survey Date

1984,2019,2025

Historic Use

large office building

Architectural Style

Late-Modern

Structural System

Wall Material

Concrete

Architect

Brust Zimmerman

Other Buildings On Site

Demolished

No

Demolished Date

Additional Comments

Morse Diesel, Inc. was the builder. 2019 - Resurveyed (streetcar project). Building now adapted for use as apartments. Some new window openings around/adjacent to corners. Appearance generally unchanged. Update photo. 2025; This eleven-story Late-Modern-style commercial office building was constructed in 1973. Its five-sided geometric footprint is situated on a corner lot, fronting West Michigan Avenue and North Vel Phillips Avenue. It is clad in alternating rows of concrete panels and tinted ribbon windows, with a flat roof. Windows are mix of fixed and awning types. An addition was undertaken in 1977 which altered its original footprint. The property was modified again in 2016 when it was converted into apartments, which added the eleventh story, vertical window slats along the entablature, and vertical pairs of windows at the building face as part of the conversion. This resource was evaluated for the National Register under Criteria A, B, and C. Preliminary research does not suggest any potential significance under Criterion A: History, or Criterion B: People. Under Criterion C: Architecture, the property is an intact, yet typical example of the Late-Modern style applied to a mid-twentieth century commercial office building with modifications. It lacks sufficient architectural interest and integrity to be eligible for the National Register within the context of Milwaukee.

Bibliographic References

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name

Not Listed

National Register Listing Date

State Register Listing Date

Contributing

large office building Late-Modern

Milwaukee
County

Milwaukee
Community

1970-1979
Decade

National and State Register Listing

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Review and Compliance Rehabilitation Tax Credits State Archaeologist State & National Registers of Historic Places Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database

Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.

The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.

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