Old-school West Allis gets new industrial plant
WEST ALLIS – While much of the former industrial core of West Allis continues to be transformed into apartments, offices, retail space and other new uses, at least one property is sticking to its roots.
Glenn Rieder Inc.’s new two-story, 120,000-squarefoot headquarters, at 6520 W. Becher Place, features modern light industrial space in an old-school heavy industrial area.
The sleek $15 million development features such touches as large windows to provide lots of natural light, collaborative work space and a fitness center. And it was built on a former lime slurry disposal pit that now includes a pond and other landscaping.
“We wanted to provide a comfortable building environment for the employees,” said Michael Floyd, coowner and chief executive officer.
The building is just south of the former Milwaukee
Ductile Iron foundry and isn’t far from the former Allis-Chalmers Corp. complex and other former heavy industrial sites that once defined West Allis.
Glenn Rieder, which makes architectural millwork and custom interior finishes, moved to West Allis from another old industrial area: the Milwaukee north side neighborhood that was once home to A.O. Smith Corp.’s massive auto body manufacturing works.
The company moved from 3420 W. Capitol Drive, where it operated for 30 years, because it needed more space — and a more efficient production layout, Floyd said.
Floyd and the other co-owner, Chief Operating Officer James Caragher, considered other area locations before choosing the West Allis site. They were swayed by what Floyd called an attractive incentives package.
The city sold the 11.6-acre project site for $1. It previously did an environmental cleanup on the parcel to help attract new development.
Also, First-Ring Industrial Redevelopment Enterprise Inc. provided around $2.5 million in financing for the Glenn Rieder project, said John Stibal, West Allis development director.
FIRE is a nonprofit group that helps spur development within industrial communities throughout southeastern Wisconsin. It is affiliated with the City of West Allis, and Stibal is the group’s president.
Glenn Rieder’s new building features 90,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 30,000 square feet of offices.
Berghammer Construction Corp. was the general contractor, and Zimmerman Architectural Studios Inc. was the project architect.
The headquarters houses 86 employees, up from 70 before the company moved this spring — with 10 open positions, Floyd said.
Glenn Rieder makes interior items such as canopies, vanities and door frames for hotels, casinos, office buildings and other commercial projects.
New buildings using the company’s products include the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans; the Encore Boston Harbor resort and casino in Everett, Mass.; and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s downtown Milwaukee office tower.
Glenn Rieder has 236 employees. It operates a second manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico, and regional offices in San Diego, Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Glenn Rieder’s headquarters is near other new industrial developments in neighboring West Milwaukee.
About 1 mile east, Burnham Business Center, a one-story, 83,500square-foot light industrial building, opened in 2017 at 4915 W. Burnham St. Its tenants include CertiFit Inc., a national auto body parts supplier.
Minneapolis developer Jeff Hall received $1.48 million in village financing to help develop the Burnham building. Those funds were mainly used for an environmental cleanup, and will be repaid through the $6 million development’s new property taxes.
Also, Pewaukee-based Interstate Partners LLC plans to start construction in late July on a one-story, 86,000square-foot light industrial building at 4775 W. Electric Ave. — about a halfmile southeast of Burnham Business Center.
Interstate Partners hasn’t yet named tenants for the building, which it will complete by March.
The firm was attracted to the site by the dearth of new industrial space in the immediate area, said Caroline Brzezinski, vice president.
Glenn Rieder’s facility differs from other big developments happening in the old industrial core of West Allis.
Most of those other industrial properties are being converted to new uses.
Part of the former site of Pressed Steel Tank Inc., west of Six Points Crossing, between West Greenfield and West National avenues, is being developed as a 30,000-square-foot Aurora Health Care Inc. clinic.
That clinic, which is replacing an older Aurora facility at 7220 W. National Ave., is scheduled to open at the end of 2018.
Mandel Group Inc. plans to break ground by the end of June on its development of 177 upscale apartments, in two three-story buildings, on the rest of that parcel. That project should be done by the end of 2019, said Ian Martin, Mandel Group vice president of development.
A 101-room Hampton Inn and Suites opened in 2015 at 8201 W. Greenfield Ave., on part of the former Milwaukee Gray Iron foundry site.
The remaining portion of that former foundry is part of the Element 84 apartment development site.
Ogden & Co. plans to begin construction in August on Element 84, which will feature two four-story buildings totaling 203 units and 3,500 square feet of retail space. Those apartments will begin opening at 1482 S. 84th St. in late fall of 2019, said Jonathan Ross, an Ogden principal.
Meanwhile, Cobalt Partners LLC has conceptual plans to develop 300,000 square feet of office space, 140,000 square feet for education, 18,000 square feet for retail, a 100-room hotel and 52 row houses on both sides of South 70th Street, north of West Greenfield Avenue.
Cobalt’s proposal includes demolishing part of the former Allis-Chalmers complex, at 1126 S. 70th St., and replacing it with new construction.
Glenn Rieder’s new headquarters includes views from its mezzanine level of downtown Milwaukee’s office towers, Miller Park and some of West Allis’ remaining industrial buildings that are likely candidates for future redevelopment.
Floyd said he felt some apprehension about the city’s Rust Belt image when the West Allis site was pitched.
“But we came over here and looked around. We hung out in the neighborhood,” he said. “It really felt comfortable.”
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.