Milwaukee County is getting ready to turn a longtime home for death investigations into a place where people actually live. The county has officially listed the Office of the Medical Examiner’s downtown building at 933 W. Highland Ave for redevelopment, inviting proposals that lean hard into housing and standout design.
Officials will review offers on a rolling basis, with an initial proposal deadline of May 26, 2026. The sale comes as the Medical Examiner’s team prepares to leave downtown for a new purpose-built forensic science center in Wauwatosa.
What's for sale
The county is marketing the 1.07-acre site at 933 W. Highland Ave, currently home to a one-story, 58,000-square-foot building that dates back to 1931 and once formed part of the St. Anthony Hospital complex. Redevelopment proposals are expected to emphasize high-density or affordable housing, strong architectural design, financial feasibility, and equity, according to Urban Milwaukee.
Building and caseload
Public property records list Milwaukee County as the owner of the site and peg the lot size at about 1.07 acres, per LoopNet.
The Medical Examiner’s workload helps explain why the county is investing in a modern facility. The office’s 2024 annual report shows it accepted 2,174 cases and performed 1,269 autopsies that year, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Annual Report 2024.
Where the office is going
The Medical Examiner is heading to the Center for Forensic Science and Protective Medicine at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa, a four-story, 212,000-square-foot building that will also house the county’s Office of Emergency Management and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Milwaukee Crime Lab.
The project carries a price tag above $233 million, with the county’s share at roughly $120 million, according to the Daily Reporter. Contractors told the outlet that work was on schedule to wrap up in spring 2026, with full occupancy expected by June.
What developers should know
County Executive David Crowley’s office is pitching the downtown sale as a way to leverage county real estate to pull in private investment while staying aligned with the city’s Downtown Area Plan. Officials have asked that proposals clearly demonstrate equity and inclusion efforts.
Bids for the Highland Avenue property will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with that first key deadline set for May 26, 2026, according to Urban Milwaukee.
Downtown development climate
There is a catch for anyone eyeing the property. Developers are staring down construction and financing costs that have already slowed or sidelined other downtown efforts.
Several major projects in the city’s core have been delayed or paused in recent months because of those pressures, local coverage from the Daily Reporter notes. Anyone pitching a bold new life for 933 W. Highland Ave will have to make the numbers work in that reality.
