Northwestern Mutual reps get first look inside new downtown space

Scott Wollenzien had goosebumps as people meandered through the first floor of the the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons Sunday morning. 

Wollenzien, a project consultant for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., has worked on the new building for seven years. Sunday was one of the first opportunities many employees had to look at their new home at 745 N. Prospect Ave.

"Being able to share it finally is really rewarding," Wollenzien said. "This building is going to be here for many many years to come."

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More than 10,000 Northwestern Mutual employees are in Milwaukee for the company's annual meeting, a five-day event that began Saturday. Employees cooled off while touring the building's atrium and Commons following the meeting’s 5K-10K run/walk Sunday morning at the lakefront.

The atrium connects Northwestern Mutual's neoclassical landmark office from 1914 to the glass and light-filled Commons area of the new building. The white marble throughout the Commons and atrium mimics the marble in the south building.

The Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons is the second-highest skyscraper in Wisconsin. The nearby U.S. Bank Center is taller by 51 feet. But the building has 1.1 million square feet of space, making it the largest volume of space under one roof in the state. 

The Commons section, which will be open to the public, is three stories tall and two blocks long. The atrium won't be open to the public. Employees of Northwestern Mutual's home office are expected to begin moving into the $450 million Tower and Commons building about a month from now.

Debra Kaeck, a restaurant manager for the company, said she had a few tours of the building while it was under construction. But seeing the space cleaned up and filled with fellow employees was an entirely different experience, she said. 

"Even though it's brand new, you still have that feel of timelessness moving through the building," she said. 

Kaeck said she's especially excited for the public portion of the building. "It's all about bringing the community in," she said. 

Construction began in 2014, and the completed complex will officially open on Aug. 21.

Mark Humphrey, who works in real estate investment for Northwestern Mutual, helped show off the space Sunday morning, pointing out architectural details and some of the best spots to snap photos. 

He already knows what his favorite spot might be. 

"I suspect it's going to be the top floor," he said.