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Journal Commons

Re-envisioning a distinguished building for continued future use

EUA worked with J. Jeffers & Co., a Milwaukee-based real estate developer, to convert the former headquarters of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper into market-rate apartments and affordable student housing.

Located in the heart of downtown, the original 1924 building now offers 141 apartments of various configurations from studio to three-bedroom and some street-accessed walk-up units. The 1962 addition hosts 195 beds in studio, two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments.

The redesign celebrates the building’s history and character, exemplified by the refurbished murals depicting the newspaper’s history in the corridor of the former editors’ offices. We also preserved materials and features like original wood paneling, wood and marble floors and two built-in phone booths from the newspaper’s former lobby.

Tenants have access to a range of amenities, including a fitness complex, pet spa, mailroom and over 160 parking spaces in the lower levels of both existing buildings. The building’s original lobby now houses a co-working space.

In 2019, the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission designated the Journal Commons as a historic property, preserving the building’s exterior and qualifying it for tax credits.