Milwaukee School of Engineering recently completed the acquisition of the property at 310 E. Knapp St. in downtown Milwaukee from Sunset Investors.

“This strategic acquisition will support our academic mission, further strengthening our ability to deliver a top-tier education and the development of the MSOE Mindset in our graduates” said Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. “As demand for our graduates grows, so too should our curricular and co-curricular offerings and campus infrastructure to meet their needs.”   

MSOE has not finalized plans for the building’s use at this date but intends to rezone it for “college use,” consistent with zoning of other buildings on campus and convert it to support its academic mission to be the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. Walz and university leadership are currently considering several potential academic uses in close consultation with MSOE’s Board of Regents and will share plans as they are finalized.  

The building has 58,429 square feet and was built in the year 2000. Dr. Kendall G. Breunig is the owner and principal of Sunset Investors. Breunig graduated from MSOE with an Associate of Applied Science in Architectural and Building Construction Engineering Technology in 1978 and a bachelor’s degree in the same field in 1979. He received an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Marquette University in 1987 and was later awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from MSOE in 2017. He served as a member of the MSOE Corporation before joining the Board of Regents in 2016 and was inducted to MSOE’s Alumni Wall of Distinction in 2021.  

The building is in the northeast quadrant of the MSOE campus at the intersection of N. Broadway and E. Knapp St. Occupying the other three corners of that intersection are MSOE’s Pamela and Hermann Viets Field, an NCAA Division III competition field for soccer, lacrosse and club sports; MSOE’s Kern Center, a 210,000-square-foot recreation, athletic, health and wellness facility; and a small parking lot for the university.