On Thursday morning, Milwaukee added another corporate headquarters to the city’s Westown neighborhood.
Fiserv will take over the former Boston Store space on the corner of Wisconsin and Vel R. Phillips avenues, boosting its already-significant presence in the area courtesy of the Fiserv Forum. Its new home is about two blocks from Milwaukee Tool’s headquarters, which welcomed its first employees this past spring.
Fiserv, which provides payments and financial services solutions, currently calls Brookfield home but plans to make the move sometime next year. While details about a more precise date weren’t available, Fiserv did have plenty to say about its plans for the site:
- 160,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art campus
- World-class client meeting and conference center
- Social and collaboration spaces, and culinary programming
- Dedicated associate welcome entrance and covered parking
- Investments in building enhancements and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
In its announcement, the company said the project will add 250 jobs over five years and come in with a price tag of $40 million. It also added a caveat that everything is “contingent upon incentives currently being considered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the City of Milwaukee.”
Considering the glowing comments made by representatives of both those entities, along with everyone else involved with the project, Fiserv can feel pretty confident about things moving forward. You can read what they had to say below and revisit our Urban Spelunking episode about the former Boston Store building and its new life as Hub 640.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
“Milwaukee is an ideal location for Fiserv’s global headquarters, which will be a prominent showcase and physical manifestation of the company’s brand experience, and Fiserv will add significantly to the positive energy in the center of our city. This is what the power of partnerships is all about. I welcome Fiserv and the hundreds of employees coming to Westown.”
WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes
“Fiserv’s extraordinary growth is driven by innovation. Wisconsin is firmly planting its flag in the digital economy of the future. Fiserv’s products and solutions are emblematic of Wisconsin’s important role in the global economy. Companies like Fiserv are driving job growth and prosperity statewide. We are thrilled that Fiserv’s next chapter will be written right here in Wisconsin.”
Fiserv President, Chairman and CEO Frank Bisignano
“Fiserv’s roots run deep in Wisconsin, and we’re proud to be expanding our presence and investment in the state and the local workforce. Our new world headquarters location will be a dynamic hub of collaboration and innovation, bringing our people together in an inspiring workplace to create opportunity for energizing and career growth experiences, as we lead the industry forward on behalf of our clients. As part of our investment in this new Fiserv global headquarters, we look forward to being a force for good, as we create positive and meaningful impact and grow our presence in the increasingly vibrant downtown Milwaukee community.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers
“I am pleased that Fiserv has chosen to deepen its roots in Wisconsin. Fiserv is precisely the type of innovation-driven company we want and can well support in our state. The company’s decision to expand here says volumes about our talented and plentiful tech workforce known for its next-level skills, nimbleness and work ethic. I am grateful to Mr. Bisignano and the entire Fiserv team for the company’s investment in Wisconsin.”
