The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here! With the metal cladding on the former Gimbels-Schuster’s department store coming down, revealing the historic building beneath, construction on ThriveOn King has officially begun.

ThriveOn King, 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, is a part of the ThriveOn Collaboration – a joint venture between the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Royal Capital and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The collaboration aims to build an equitable Milwaukee as it pertains to race, health, economics and social well-being.

Once complete, the Foundation will relocate its offices to ThriveOn King. The new location will provide more space for the Foundation’s growing workforce and more opportunity to build community.

In the many months leading up to construction, the ThriveOn Collaboration focused its attention on building partnerships and investing in community-identified priorities. New tenants were secured and programming plans advanced. Major milestones from the past six months include:

• Malaika Early Learning Center named as flagship provider for ThriveOn King
  Malaika, which provides a high-quality education experience for children, will be opening a second location in ThriveOn King. In addition to the new center, the collaboration’s commitment to expand access to and invest in quality early childhood education includes a five-year, $5 million investment in facilities improvements and developing a learning community for providers already serving Harambee, Halyard Park and Brewers Hill.
  
  
• Versiti to join ThriveOn King building as anchor tenant
  Versiti’s work aims to address health care disparities through advocacy and outreach, a mission that correlates with the ThriveOn Collaboration. Its new space will offer community resources including employment and job skill training, education opportunities and a permanent blood donation center.
  
  
• Foundation makes major investment in ThriveOn King contractor, JCP Construction
  The Foundation issued a $1.54 million impact investment loan to JCP Construction to help expand its workforce and workload capacity. JCP Construction is a Milwaukee-based construction company that is working on the ThriveOn King building along with CG Schmidt. The company is dedicated to employing individuals who reflect the community it serves.

Since it began, the collaboration has been intentional about engaging the community and letting their voice inform how the first-floor space of ThriveOn King should be used. Community voice will remain an instrumental part of the ThriveOn Collaboration as the building and a Milwaukee for all come to life.

The project is expected to be completed by November 2023.