Northwestern Mutual lights up North Building sign in Milwaukee

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s North Building renovation has reached its physical peak and now the company is lighting its bright new sign over Mason Street in Milwaukee.

The company is working with Gilbane Building Co. and CG Schmidt on a $500 million renovation of its 18-story North Building. The building was originally built in the early 1990s and being retrofitted for modern office use as the company is poised to empty its Franklin campus and bring thousands of employees downtown. The project is expected to wrap up in 2027.

The renovation includes a full redo of the exterior and installation of a glassy façade to look like its sister structure Tower and Commons. Northwestern Mutual hasn’t shared the official numbers yet, but said the project surpassed small business and inclusion goals and even recycled its furniture during the interior renovation.

Now, with help of Janesville-based Elevated Identity, the company has illuminated 11-and-a-half-foot tall exterior signs on top of the North Building. Crews installed the sign back in October 2025.

The signage will be visible from the lakefront and the Henry Maier Festival Grounds, further establishing the tower “as a defining visual anchor in the city,” officials said in a news release.

The lights come on as country singer and songwriter Garth Brooks on Wednesday is scheduled to play his second show at the Summerfest pre-party hosted at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, among other lakefront festivals planned through the summer.

The signs feature Northwestern Mutual’s recognizable “columns” logo and the signs on the Tower and Commons have also been updated to match, officials added.

There will also be new monument signs around the Northwestern Mutual campus perimeter and colorful banners celebrating the new campus.

“The lighting of the Northwestern Mutual North Building signs is an exciting milestone for this transformative redevelopment project, as it ties the new building together with the Tower and Commons in one connected campus and is a visible hallmark of our Northwestern Mutual brand,” said Cal Schattschneider, the vice president of campus and event experiences at Northwestern Mutual. “This newest addition to the Milwaukee’s skyline reflects both our commitment to the city and the pride we take in calling Milwaukee home.”