SOB for sale (State Office Building at 1 West Wilson Street in Madison Wisconsin)

 

Photo by Retiring Guy

Headline:  Wisconsin State Journal, 12/3/2025

Kimberly Wethel reports:

The building, built in three phases between 1930 and 1959, is adjacent to Monona Terrace and most recently housed the state Department of Health Services. Bids for purchase will be open through mid-March. 

The sale is a part of a larger plan to reduce the state’s physical footprint in Downtown Madison, as more employees are working remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the office environment.

Altogether, the state hopes to sell off three buildings within a block or two of the Capitol, which DOA estimates will save around $7.4 million annually in operating costs as well as $541 million in deferred maintenance costs, DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld said in a statement. She called the sale a “one-of-a-kind opportunity” for a developer.

Related reading:

Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, 7/31/2020

Michael Bridgeman reports:

The State Office Building at 1 W. Wilson St.—conceived when Art Deco design was widely popular for commercial, institutional and government buildings—took nearly 30 years to complete. From the opening of the first section in 1931 to its completion in 1959, the building retained remarkable design integrity in spite of changing tastes during the long span of its construction. 

The architect was Arthur Peabody. He was named Wisconsin’s first state architect in 1915 and served until 1939. His name appears on state building plans throughout his tenure and while the degree to which he participated in any given project is unclear, the State Office Building is among the work credited to him. The building is exceptional no matter who is the designer. 

Peabody said his building was in “modern style” (“Art Deco” only gained wide currency 30 years later). Decorative details enliven the structure with zig-zag patterns, motifs inspired by nature, simplified takes on classical themes, and incised medallions with eagles spaced regularly around the facades. The metal light fixtures and entryways are also eye-catching. 

For reasons both practical and financial, the plan from the outset was to erect the State Office Building over time. When he finished his designs in 1928 or 1929 Peabody presented a unified plan which guided the work until the building’s completion.

Related posts:

2025

Madison Wisconsin construction news:  GEF 2 and GEF 3 await the wrecking ball.  (6/27)

GEF 2 and GEF 3 will soon be for sale.  (1/12/2025)

Under state law, the State Office Building at 1 West Wilson Street must be preserved.  (1/9/2025)

2024

Developers salivate over demolishing 45-to-50-year-old government buildings and replacing them with mixed-use development.  (1/28)