Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said it would be a "serious mistake" for the city not to approve plans for a new Milwaukee Tool office downtown.
Barrett encouraged the Common Council in a letter Friday to move forward with Milwaukee Tool's proposal because of the message it would send to the business community.
"Pushing Milwaukee Tool away would be a serious mistake and a major disappointment," Barrett wrote in the letter.
Brookfield-based Milwaukee Tool has plans to buy and renovate a five-story, 350,000-square-foot office building at 501 W. Michigan St. The company is seeking up to $20 million in city financing for the new office that would have up to 2,000 employees.