Swedish communications company to open downtown Milwaukee office

A Sweden-based communications company has inked a lease at the 833 East office building in downtown Milwaukee.

Axis Communications, which provides network solutions for video surveillance, access control, intercom and audio systems, will occupy about 8,870 square feet on the building’s 11th floor, according to permit applications filed with the City of Milwaukee.

The company, which was founded in 1984 and had $1.6 billion in sales in 2023, its website says, has offices globally with its nearest offices being in Chicago and Minneapolis.

The 358,000-square-foot 833 East building, located at 833 E. Michigan St., was developed in 2016 by Wauwatosa-based development firm Irgens. At the time, it was the first new multitenant office building built in downtown Milwaukee in more than a decade.

Today, the building is about 92% occupied, according to Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin and listing broker for the building.

Amid the flight to quality trend in the office market, in which tenants are increasingly opting for higher-quality space, 833 East has gained several tenants in recent years, including RBC Wealth Management, Wells Fargo, Marietta Investments and Potawatomi Ventures, among others.

Wanezek said there are other lease extensions and expansions in progress at the building as well.

Axis Communications did not respond to a request for comment.