Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center groundbreaking

County Executive David Crowley, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and local and state leaders on Monday, Oct. 2 broke ground on the new Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center.

MILWAUKEE - County Executive David Crowley, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and local and state leaders on Monday, Oct. 2 broke ground on the new Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center.

For the first time, Milwaukee County will have a building designed specifically to deliver health and human services.

"Today, is a monumental day. I’m thrilled to be celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center, an upstream investment in race and health equity for our community. I am proud to say that for the first time Milwaukee County will have a building designed specifically to deliver health and human services," said County Executive David Crowley.

The new Marcia P. Coggs Center, home to the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), will continue to be a trusted location to access services, as it has been for more than 50 years, in the King Park neighborhood with the inherent benefits of walkability and public transportation.

The Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center will be a four-story, 60,000 square foot building with the first floor intended to be a warm, welcoming, and accessible entry point for information, access to services, and community space. Anticipated completion is early 2025.

"For more than 50 years, the Coggs Center has served as a trusted location to access health and human services. The new Marcia P. Coggs building is a step forward in our journey to close the gap in racial health disparities and better meet the needs of the community, ensuring our most vulnerable residents can come to an accessible and welcoming environment," said Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. "This is a significant part of the legacy of this Milwaukee County Board."

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In 2022, County Board members of the Committee on Finance voted unanimously to approve $32 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to develop a health and human services building in the King Park neighborhood and keep key services in the heart of the community.

This is the first new county building being constructed in or close to downtown since the Criminal Justice Facility in 1992.