Dental Associates Opens Downtown Clinic in Iron Block Building

After 2 ½ years of meticulous work, Dental Associates is opening its downtown dental clinic in the Iron Block Building at 205 E. Wisconsin Ave. and moving its corporate headquarters to the completely restored space.

Dental Associates, Wisconsin’s largest family-owned dental group practice, purchased the Iron Block Building in January 2012 and made a commitment to restore the historic landmark to its former glory. It is the only remaining building with a cast iron facade in Wisconsin.

“We are a growing and vibrant company and wanted to become part of the fabric of the city of Milwaukee,” says Thomas Manos, D.D.S, M.S., president and owner of Dental Associates. “We’re excited to have a clinic in the heart of downtown and can’t wait to get to know our new patients.”

With the opening of the dental center in the Iron Block Building, the company now has 11 clinics throughout the state – four of which are in the metro Milwaukee area. The new, multi-story downtown clinic has 29 chairs and offers a complete suite of dental services including general and pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, implant dentistry and oral surgery. The clinic is now accepting new patients and can be reached at (414) 778-3600.

The relocation of Dental Associates’ company headquarters doesn’t impact its Wauwatosa clinic at 11711 W. Burleigh St. The Wauwatosa clinic will remain open and continue to serve patients. In fact, the company recently completed an extensive renovation at the Wauwatosa clinic. The dental center now has new surgical suites and an updated reception area with fresh furnishings and floor and wall coverings. To schedule an appointment at Dental Associates’ Wauwatosa clinic, call (414) 771-2345.

Iron Block History & Restoration
Remodeling of the interior of the Iron Block began in June 2013. After completion in late July 2014, the company began moving its corporate headquarters from Wauwatosa to the 55,000-square-foot Italianate style building downtown.

Mark Demsky, AIA, architect for Dental Associates, worked to retain signature interior elements of the building. For example, the Iron Block originally included a photographer’s studio that had sloped walls and fixed glass panes. Demsky made sure those elements remained and converted the space into a corporate lunchroom that features a rooftop patio. In addition, the striking 11-foot arched windows on two upper floors were preserved and now are focal points in the corporate offices.

Staff amenities include state-of-the-art office space, a dedicated brainstorm space, skylights to bring in natural light, an airy three-floor open atrium, a roof deck and a café/beverage area on the main floor.

The seven story Iron Block Building began construction in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln was president and is made from pre-fabricated cast iron pieces that were designed to look like ornate carved stone masonry. The pieces were made in New York and shipped by schooner to Milwaukee.

“The Iron Block Building was erected at a time when Milwaukee was a recognized leader in commerce and industry. It’s more than just a building. It’s an heirloom that represents the innovative and prominent position our city held,” says Demsky.

Restoration began with the exterior and nearly every company that worked on the façade was a Wisconsin-based firm, a decision that Dr. Manos made early on in the process. He also entrusted Demsky to make sure the building was historically accurate.

“Although the building had been white for the past 30 years, it originally featured a palette of colors,” explains Demsky. “Based on our research and consultations with the restoration architects of a sister building in New York City, we selected two primary and two accent colors that are historically accurate and reflect the tones used during the 19th century when the building was constructed.”

Before painting could even begin, Demsky worked with Spray-O-Bond, a Milwaukee-based restoration contractor, to remove decorative pieces that had been added to the building over the years. Those pieces had been fabricated from sheet metal, wood and foam and were not usable for the authentic restoration Dental Associates was undertaking.

Once that was done, small sections were meticulously sandblasted to peel away layers of paint, primer and surface rust. After the bare cast iron was exposed, a three-part paint system, designed specially to protect ferrous metals, was applied.

While crews were working to polish the exterior, a pattern shop in created patterns and molds of the historic decorative pieces. Foundries in Beloit and Milwaukee fabricated more than 4,200 new pieces that are identical to the original ones on the building’s exterior.

The team was able to recreate ornamental elements that not seen on the façade in over a century, including 119 column capitals, 43 lion heads and 43, six-foot-long grapevines that spill out of each lion’s mouth. Those elements, as well as cornices, scrollwork, lamb’s tongue molding, vermiculated blocks, fluted columns and pilasters, window screens with grapevine motifs and thousands of other detail items were recreated.

The crowning achievement of the façade restoration is the two gable pediments located at the top of the building. The triangle shaped pieces, which face E. Wisconsin Ave. and N. Water St., have been restored to their original size and prominence. Each pediment features a decorative plaque with the name of the Iron Block Building.

In a nod to the building’s new owners, Dental Associates appears on the pediment facing E. Wisconsin Ave.

Founded in 1973, Dental Associates is Wisconsin’s largest family-owned dental group practice with 11 offices throughout the state and nearly 850 staff members, including 100 doctors and 494 operatories. Dental Associates provides complete family dental services, both general and specialty dentistry, under one roof – from pediatric dentistry to specialized dental services for older adults – with a focus on excellent care that is affordable, accessible and personalized. Dental Associates is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Through the company's CarePlus Dental Plans, Dental Associates provides affordable and high-quality dental health care to all Wisconsin residents. For more information regarding Dental Associates, visit www.dentalassociates.com.