Selling the Old SOB
By Michael Bridgeman
The old State Office Building at I West Wilson Street is for sale. The state Department of Administration announced the sale in early December and will accept bids until mid-March. “The sale is a part of a larger plan to reduce the state’s physical footprint in Downtown Madison,” the Wisconsin State Journal reported, “as more employees are working remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the office environment.” [a]
From informational video about 1 West Wilson Street [1]
I wrote about the State Office Building in 2020 and it seems timely to republish the post. At the time was unable to get past the security desk five years ago, though I remember the first-floor lobby gleaming with Art Deco details. The exterior alone is well worth admiring for its massing, materials, and ornamental details.
The GEF 2 and GEF 3 buildings [2]
Under a plan called “Vision 2030,” the state will dramatically reduce its downtown office space. Two other buildings slated for future sale are GEF 2 at 101 South Webster Street (to the left in the photo above) and GEF 3 at 125 South Webster Street (to the right). Both are functionalist designs that have never been warmly embraced. The Wilson Street building, it’s safe to say, has become an endearing part of the Madison’s downtown cityscape. And it will be an enduring presence, too. A historic preservation conservation easement is held by the Wisconsin Historical Society making the property “subject to certain covenants, restrictions and provisions ... and will be considered as running with the land in perpetuity.” [b]
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Notes
[a] Kimberly Wethal, “Bids Open to buy State Office Building,” Wisconsin State Journal, Dec. 4, 2025. p.1.
[b] Dane County Register of Deeds Document #6058255, Oct. 20, 2025. Retrieved Dec. 26, 2025 at https://doa.wi.gov/DFTS/RFP_RFI_Asset%20Sales/Historic%20Preservation%20Conservation%20Easement.pdf
Image Credits
[1] State of Wisconsin, Department of Administration. https://doa.wi.gov/pages/doingbusiness/buy-underutilized-real-property.aspx
[2] State of Wisconsin, Department of Administration. https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/AboutDOA/State-Natural-Resources-Building-(GEF2).aspx