A Greendale building that once housed Allis-Chalmers, Reiman Publications and Goodwill is now the headquarters of a local construction company — and its new tenants are working to honor the past while building something new.
Selzer-Ornst Construction Company LLC moved into the Gateway at Greendale, and Vice President Thor Misko said the building caught their attention immediately.
"It wasn't just another box. It wasn't just another building. It was a building that had a great story," Misko said.
Rather than erase that story, Selzer-Ornst chose to preserve pieces of it. The Taste of Home test kitchen from the Reiman Publications era remains intact inside the building.
"They'd bring people in to test those recipes before putting it in the magazines," Misko said.
The company also wants the space to serve the broader community — not just function as a corporate office. After the building sat empty for five years, Selzer-Ornst is opening it up to outside groups.
Watch: Selzer-Ornst moves into historic Greendale building, keeps its story
"Opening it up to schools and other communities, non-profits that are looking for space," Misko said.
That includes plans for a day service program.
"We're excited to have another day service program that will be coming in that will be supporting folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community," Misko said.
And sometimes, the building's history surfaces in unexpected ways. Misko recently came across an original magazine cover from 1993 — one that connects him personally to the space.
"This is the original cover from 1993. There's the Taste of Home kitchen in the background... there's myself, Nick and Matt, the three owners of Selzer-Ornst using it as an invitation for our grand opening," Misko said.
For Misko, it's a reminder that the building's story is far from finished.
On the outside, the building looks much like it always has. But on the inside, Selzer-Ornst is working to blend Greendale's history while making it a home of their own.
For those interested in leasing or using a space in the building for community purposes, contact Misko through his email @Tmisko@selzer-ornst.com
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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