Civic champion and noted Milwaukee real estate developer Gary Grunau dies at 80 after battling brain cancer

MILWAUKEE — Gary Grunau, civic champion and noted Milwaukee real estate developer passed away Wednesday, Sept. 25 after a two-year battle with brain cancer, his family announced.

A news release stated, “Despite his diagnosis and treatment, Grunau continued to charge forward, firmly focused on the future with a busy agenda at work and in the community.”

Grunau was a lifelong Milwaukee resident who was instrumental in some of the region’s most innovative and successful urban development projects including the iconic, riverfront Schlitz Park office complex. Purchased by the Grunau and Sampson families in 1983, Grunau and partners invested millions to convert the former Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. site into what is now one of downtown’s most desirable workplaces.   Sold earlier this year, Schlitz Park has been a major catalyst for an endless wave of economic development.