Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, August 30, 2025
News Summary
Milwaukee County moved forward on plans to replace its aging downtown Safety Building after a state budget action freed design funding. County leaders are using state expressway patrol dollars and local reallocations to assemble roughly $22.8 million for planning and will seek additional cash to keep design on schedule. The multi-year replacement is estimated near $490–$500 million and remains in mid-design phases; full construction funding is not yet secured. Officials say a new courthouse will resolve security and circulation problems, reduce maintenance costs, and align with related downtown redevelopment.
Milwaukee County advances long-planned Safety Building replacement as state budget move frees design funding
Milwaukee County is moving ahead with plans to replace its aging Safety Building after a recent state budget action freed money that county leaders say can be used to pay for design work. The full project remains costly and politically sensitive, but county officials now have a clear path to complete detailed planning and move the project through the next design phase.
Top lines
The overall project is estimated in publicly shared materials at roughly $490 million to nearly $500 million, with different reports offering slightly different figures. The county has secured state budget help tied to a long-standing local responsibility for freeway patrol, which has created new local budget room to shift county dollars into courthouse design. That strategy would raise the planning and design budget to $22.8 million, with a request for an additional $11 million in 2026 to keep design work on schedule. Requests for construction funding are expected to begin with the 2027 county budget.
Why the project matters now
The existing Safety Building dates to 1929 and sits at 821 W. State St. County officials and court staff report that the building’s layout and infrastructure cause safety risks, operational delays, and courtroom problems that can contribute to mistrials and security incidents. The structure contains about 60,000 square feet with 10 floors of old jail cells that have not been used since 1992 and which cannot be practically retrofitted to meet modern court needs.
Recent county counts show that deputies responded to 852 incidents inside the courthouse tied to safety or security concerns in the last year. The building also carries ongoing costs in outdated technology, antiquated heating and cooling, and maintenance, cited as roughly $500,000 per year in one county report. Deferred maintenance estimates vary in public materials, with one estimate of around $300 million to fully address long-term needs.
How the state budget move helps
Milwaukee County is unique among Wisconsin counties in that it patrols its own state highways; other counties rely on the state patrol for those duties. The enacted 2025–2027 state budget included $40 million in funding over the biennium tied to expressway patrol for the county. County officials plan to use that state funding to help balance the 2025 county budget and free up local funds for courthouse design.
In addition, the county expects to receive an extra $9 million this year related to expressway patrol; under the current plan, $7.5 million of that amount would be reallocated from the sheriff’s office budget toward the courthouse project, pending County Board approval. These moves are intended to enable the county to move from conceptual work into later design phases without waiting for a full construction funding commitment from the state.
Design, site choice and timelines
The project is in the fourth of five design phases, with conceptual plans underway. County leaders previously decided to demolish the existing Safety Building and construct a new courthouse on the same site rather than pursuing an alternate location. Using the county-owned site avoids acquisition costs and keeps the new courthouse close to the county jail and the historic county courthouse for safer, shorter inmate transfers.
Public documents and reports include slightly different timelines. One set of project materials expects construction to begin in 2029 and finish in 2032, followed by renovation of the historic county courthouse from 2032 to 2033. Other planning documents show design work through 2027 and an alternate construction completion target as early as 2031. County estimates also indicate the full development could take at least eight years.
What happens to the museum site
The county considered the current public museum site as an alternative but chose the Safety Building location. The museum is relocating to a new five-story, 200,000-square-foot building scheduled for completion in 2027. That will leave the old museum site available for sale or redevelopment. County leaders have hired a consultant to plan how to dispose of the existing museum complex, which is substantially larger than the new location and includes decades-old additions.
Funding gaps and next steps
While the state budget move provides design funding relief, the county still needs significant construction funding. County officials are pursuing a mix of state support, federal directed spending requests, and local financing. They are also in talks about changes to how the state funds certain county services tied to unique mandates the county carries, such as freeway patrol. County leaders plan to ask for construction funds starting in the 2027 budget cycle and will seek additional design financing in 2026 to avoid delays.
Risks if the project is delayed
Officials have warned that delays will likely increase costs and prolong safety and operational problems in a building that was not configured for modern court security or flows of people. Central concerns include the lack of separate, secure routes for detainees and public users, aging mechanical systems, and wasted space that cannot be repurposed.
Where things stand now
- Design budget targeted: $22.8 million with county board approval; $11 million more sought in 2026.
- Project cost estimates: vary across reports from about $450 million up to roughly $500 million.
- Design phase: fourth of five phases, conceptual plans in progress.
- Construction funding: expected to be requested starting with the 2027 county budget.
- Projected construction window: various planning documents point to starts between 2027 and 2029 and completions between 2031 and 2033.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why is the Safety Building being replaced?
A: The building is nearly a century old, has outdated infrastructure and an internal layout that does not meet modern court security or operations standards, creating safety, efficiency and cost problems.
Q: How will the county pay for design work?
A: State funding tied to county freeway patrol responsibilities has created budget room to reallocate local dollars toward design. That plan would bring the design budget to about $22.8 million, with additional local cash requested in 2026.
Q: When would construction start?
A: Public planning documents show varying dates. Construction is projected in some materials to begin in 2029 and finish by 2032; other timelines show the design phase stretching to 2027 with construction completing around 2031.
Q: Will the project add cost to local taxes?
A: The final tax impact depends on funding choices the county makes for construction and debt. County leaders are pursuing a mix of state, federal and local financing to limit direct tax increases.
Q: What happens to the current museum building?
A: The museum is moving to a new site in 2027. The county has hired a consultant to plan sale or redevelopment options for the old museum property, which could be used for other projects once vacated.
Key project features at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current site | 821 W. State St.; existing Safety Building (constructed 1929) |
| Project cost (est.) | $450 million–$500 million (varies by report) |
| Design budget | $22.8 million planned; seeking an additional $11 million in 2026 |
| Design phase | Phase 4 of 5, conceptual plans underway |
| Projected construction | Construction windows cited between 2027–2029 starts and 2031–2033 completions |
| Size and layout | Existing building about 60,000 sq ft with 10 floors of obsolete cells (unused since 1992) |
| Funding sources being pursued | State highway patrol funding, local cash reallocation, federal directed spending, and other state support |
| Nearby redevelopment | Public museum moving to a new 200,000 sq ft building in 2027; old museum site slated for sale or redevelopment |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- BizTimes: Budget maneuver allows Milwaukee County courthouse project to advance
- Wikipedia: Milwaukee County Safety Building
- OnMilwaukee: Public Safety Building coverage
- Google Search: Milwaukee County Safety Building replacement
- WISN: Milwaukee County officials on courthouse Safety Building
- Google Scholar: Milwaukee County Safety Building courthouse
- Spectrum News 1: Milwaukee County leaders push for new Safety Building
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Search – Milwaukee County Safety Building
- Urban Milwaukee: County picks site for new courthouse
- Google News: Milwaukee County Safety Building
Author: Construction CA News
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