BMO Harris Bank breaks ground on new high rise office building

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Milwaukee’s skyline will soon be a bit bigger.

A new high rise building will be going up on Water Street.

The parking structure will be coming down and in its place the 25-story BMO tower will be going up.

An official groundbreaking ceremony for the new office building was held Thursday morning.

BMO Harris Bank will be moving in from right next door.

They will take over seven of the 25 floors including a branch on the first floor.

A law firm will be moving into the top 3 floors, and the rest of the space is up for lease.

The construction project also includes a 647- spot parking ramp and retail space.

Mayor Tom Barrett called the development of downtown Milwaukee “a renaissance.”

“The belief in this city, the investment in this city, the understanding of how great of an urban center Milwaukee can be I think is being understood by more and more people,” said Mayor Barrett.

“I think it’s a really big deal for Milwaukee to have another big company make the statement that we’re making to support Milwaukee and support southeast Wisconsin,” said David Casper, CEO of BMO Harris Bank.

The BMO Tower will be completed in December 2019. The old BMO Harris building on Water Street will be redeveloped.