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Husch Blackwell moving into new downtown Milwaukee office (PHOTOS)

By: Michaela Paukner, [email protected]//November 9, 2020//

Husch Blackwell moving into new downtown Milwaukee office (PHOTOS)

By: Michaela Paukner, [email protected]//November 9, 2020//

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Lobby of Husch Blackwell's new office in the Huron Building
The 11th-floor lobby of Husch Blackwell’s new office in downtown Milwaukee offers views of Lake Michigan and a rooftop terrace. (Photo courtesy of Husch Blackwell)

Husch Blackwell is moving into its new, state-of-the-art office space in downtown Milwaukee.

The firm is the main tenant of the Huron Building, at 511 N. Broadway. Its 153 Milwaukee employees, including 85 lawyers and paralegals and 68 administrative staff members, will occupy the top three floors of the building. They’ll move into the new office later this month.

The new office’s accommodations and features are designed to support employees and their wellbeing. The 11th-floor lobby offers views of Lake Michigan and a rooftop terrace. The interior design borrows from the building’s natural surroundings with a large topographical map of the lake carved into the reception space.

The new office has glass office walls and wall-to-wall windows throughout its three floors. Nearly all of the desks have a view and natural light.

Jack Enea, managing partner at the Milwaukee office, said exposing employees to a lot of natural light was one of the primary design objectives to promote better health and wellness.

A modern library occupies part of the 10th floor. Although they don’t always need physical books, Husch Blackwell attorneys still wanted a quiet space for concentrating.

The 10th floor also features a café to be used as a break room and a space for small meetings. Enea said many employees are missing dealing in person with colleagues as they’re working from home and looking forward to getting together when it’s safe.

The firm is planning to return to the office in phases, including imposing capacity limits according to local COVID-19 case counts. The decision will also take into account guidance from local, state and federal authorities, and employees’ comfort with returning to the office.

In response to the pandemic, Husch Blackwell converted its office’s faucets, soap dispensers and paper-towel dispensers to touchless activation. But even before COVID-19, the firm had planned to support working safely during a pandemic. Desks were already more than six feet apart, and multi-purpose meeting space was re-arrangeable enough to allow for proper social distancing. The office also has video conference rooms throughout.

Other additions in the new office include a ninth-floor multipurpose room with an area for food preparation and event planning. Each floor also has a wellness suite designed with nursing mothers in mind, but it can also be uses for meditation and relaxation.

Paul Eberle, Husch Blackwell chief executive officer for its Milwaukee’s office, said the new space and its prime downtown site will help the firm meet the changing needs of current clients and put the firm in a position for future growth.

CG Schmidt served as Husch Blackwell’s construction manager, Nelson Worldwide was the designer and Colliers was the project manager. J. Jeffers & Co. is the developer of the Huron Building.

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