Jackie Robinson Middle School Remade as Senior Living Community

A building once filled with the bustle of energetic middle school students is now a quiet and safe place that Sherman Park seniors call home.

The former Jackie Robinson Middle School at 3245 N. 37th St. is now the Sherman Park Senior Living Community, with affordable housing for people 55 and older.

The unique transformation stems from a 2010 sale of the school by Milwaukee Public Schools to Gorman & Company, an Oregon-based developer.

Mayor Tom Barrett, Alderman Willie Wade, MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton and other officials joined the new residents, some former students and parents, at an opening day celebration at the 68-unit apartment building.

Byron Thompson, property manager for the new community, said the residents have a variety of amenities to enjoy. “We have a large community room and library, a kitchen for cooking classes and a 10-seat movie theater,” Thompson said.

All units are furnished with hardwood floors, a dishwasher and washer and dryer. An on-site hair salon and barber shop also awaits the residents of the new community.

Rent is based on income and ranges from $427 to $527 for one-bedroom apartments, and $585 to $694 for two-bedroom units.

“This is great for the Sherman Park community,” Thompson said. “This development gives both residents and the community a sense of pride.”

Three other MPS buildings have been sold, but this development is the first of its kind.

“The senior residents in the old Jackie Robinson School love the art-filled hallways and having an opportunity to continue to live in the Sherman Park neighborhood where they spent a majority of their lives,” Ted Matkom, Gorman’s Wisconsin market president said in a press release.

The building has been around since 1926 and was once home to Peckham Junior High School. Jackie Robinson Middle School closed in 2005.

Photo Gallery

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee.