Kilbourn Tower, 923 E. Kilbourn Ave., built in 2005, has some of the most expensive condos in the Milwaukee area and likely the most unique of them is hitting the market again this week.
Unit 3000, which fills the entire 30th floor of the 33-story condo building – offering panoramic views in all directions – is listed with Kelley Ruzicka and Firefly Real Estate for $2.8 million.
The 5,769-square-foot condo – with two bedrooms, two den/office spaces and three-and-a-half baths – is one of 74 condos in the 380-foot-tall building, designed by La Dallman Architects.
At the time of its construction, Kilbourn Tower was believed to be the fifth tallest building designed by a woman – in this case Grace La – though it has since dropped to No. 26 on that list.
The condo is one of the homes of Milwaukee entrepreneur, art collector and philanthropist Peggy Ann, who – along with architect Wade Weissman – designed the unique, colorful, art-focused look that has earned the property the nickname “Gallery in the Sky.”
Fittingly, this "Gallery" looks right down onto the Milwaukee Art Museum (and its striking addition by Santiago Calatrava, who had been discussed as a potential architect for an unbuilt tower on the lot adjacent to Kilbourn Tower).
Due to its distinctive design, the condo was – along with Ann’s Naples, Florida home – featured in a photography exhibition in the Venice Biennale Architettura 2021.
Peggy Ann says that she created her unique space from a blank canvas while renting next door at University Tower.
"I toured over 30 spaces that just weren’t quite right," she recalls. "The vision was for a space where I could showcase art, while also creating a large-scale entertaining space for charity events."
A decorative bowl in the condo overflows with gold stars, each one representing a Make-A-Wish Ann has help to grant. Ann also recalls hosting a Make-A-Wish dinner in the condo, raising more than $25,000 per plate.
"I'll miss hosting these events in the most," she says.
The sprawling condo – which was also on the market in 2023 for $3 million – has two large patios (you can imagine the views), a chef’s kitchen, butler’s pantry, breakfast room, fireplaces, media room, spa-like bath, bespoke dressing room and much more.
The building also has numerous amenities, too, including a fitness center, private wine storage and humidor lockers, a "rendezvous room," bike and other storage units, and 24-hour security.
The condo, Ruzicka says, is “equal parts entertainer’s dream and serene haven, this one-of-a-kind residence is bold, visionary, and iconic – truly a masterpiece of architecture, design and lifestyle.”
For me, the balconies are the dream spots.
Ann says you can see the Courthouse, Northwestern Mutual, the lagoon, Lake Michigan, American Family Field, and beyond.
"I've been told that the condo has the longest uninterrupted panoramic city views – more than 125 feet.
"On a clear day, I can see as far as Holy Hill and where Lake Michigan hugs Whitefish Bay," she says.
But her favorite spot is in what she calls her "Pondering Chair," which sits beside a pillar in the northeast corner of the residence.
"This very spot is where I stood and looked out when I got the vision for design of the home," she recalls. "This same spot is where you can find me a few times each week – creative thinking, working on more design inspiration, writing poetry, problem solving, capturing reflections or simply letting my mind wander onto my next thing.
"From the beginning, I envisioned this property as a place of inspiration."
This unique property hit the market on Friday, Sept. 26. Find the full listing here.
Photographs by Kyleen Dzploch (interiors) and Brandon Deuster (twilight and aerial photos).
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
