Milwaukee is no longer America's beer brewing mecca, and one of the last vestiges of that faded era faces a fate common among aging institutional and commercial facilities — a growing deferred maintenance backlog but not enough funds to complete them.
Pabst Mansion is the most toured historic site in Milwaukee, drawing 45,000 visitors each year, nearly half of them from out of state, according to OnMilwaukee. But the mansion is in trouble.
Water infiltration plagues the facility, says Morgan Sweet, Pabst Mansion’s director of advancement, adding that its failing flat roof lets water enter through the attic and damage ceilings on the third floor. Water is also entering through failing tuckpointing.
As a result, the 1892 mansion is trying to raise $5.6 million required to complete the largest restoration project in its history. The work would include $3.2 million for masonry restoration, $900,000 for roof replacement and repair, $1.3 million for window restoration and $200,000 for architecture and engineering work. The owners have raised about $1.2 million so far.
Also on the mansion’s project list but not part of the current plan are HVAC upgrades and replacement of the mansion’s elevator to comply with accessibility standards.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
