Plenty of Horne
A Battle Over Historic Designation
Developer Robert Joseph wants to demolish 1880s tavern but Ald. Bauman and Third Ward board vote for historic designation, which provides protection for now.
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee
Developer Robert Joseph wants to demolish 1880s tavern but Ald. Bauman and Third Ward board vote for historic designation, which provides protection for now. Back to the full article.
Photos - Page 2
Would seem this Robert Joseph, of a long line of city developers would be a little more… how should I say this… be cognizant of his family’s legacy?
Cool building. We should keep it.
Gee, what a lost opportunity for the Third Ward to get another soulless, characterless aluminum and bronzed glass behemoth. I hope it gets “too hard” and Robert Joseph “goes elsewhere”. Perhaps he could tear down Independence Hall in Philadelphia or the Old North Church in Boston. Another developer with more money than soul. There isn’t much left there that predates the Great Fire and harkens back to the days of the Irish “Bloody Ol’ Third”. The last thing you want in an historic neighborhood is a building with character. Buy a parking lot, dude, and pursue your condo dreams.
Bauman sez: “…. if it not for the Third Ward guidelines, the neighborhood would still be a red light district….”
Are there other reasons to repeal the guidelines or is this one sufficient? The “Third Ward” moniker is so bland; no marketing sizzle. I can see it being known as “Little Amsterdam”, inasmuch as New Amsterdam has been taken.
Why is the 3rd Ward so popular? Precisely because it doesn’t have a bunch of bland, faceless glass buildings that look like the pride of the Soviet bloc. The building has a great location and unique character. I hope reason prevails and it can be saved for someone with the vision to preserve it. I’m grateful to Alderman Bauman for advocating to save historic structures and neighborhoods.
If what the developer says is true and the building is a lost cause and the building is too costly to repair and the third ward association kills the deal by making it a historic building they should be required to pay the millions to get it up to code and in rentable/sellable shape. Aka they should put their money where their minds and mouths are. But obviously that wouldn’t happen, they want to make the decisions and have someone else pay for it.
Many buildings “in rough shape” have been repurposed in the Third Ward & elsewhere. I think this building has only been out of use a year or two.
MIAD is also a key player in all this. I read that the plan is to build student housing for MIAD. That’s a worthy goal, but that could happen elsewhere in the ward. This building is near Catalano Square and definitely adds historic character.
While there are many great rehabs in the Third Ward, there are still a lot of 4- or 5-story boxy buildings (even old ones). There are few smallish buildings, especially with character and a long history. Someone who appreciates the history and architecture could do a worthy renovation. Kudos to Bob Bauman for holding the line.
Picture this cream brick survivor of the 1892 Third Ward fire with historically appropriate size & shape windows, (including those in its tower) historically appropriate roof, a flag or banner on its flagpole, historically sympathetic awnings & plantings, and you will have the unique irreplaceable gem that it should be for all citizens & tourists to enjoy in this historic district. It is the only survivor I can think of in the entire ward with a pitched roof whereas all post-fire buildings had flat roofs. It needs to stay for the character of this neighborhood.