Trio of Center Street Properties For Sale

Looking for a home for your business venture? The Department of City Development is selling three separate properties along the W. Center St. commercial corridor in Milwaukee’s Saint Joseph neighborhood.

The buildings are all located three blocks south of the neighborhood’s namesake Ascension St. Joseph Hospital at N. 51st St. and W. Burleigh St.

Each of the properties is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The two easternmost properties are located in the Center Street Marketplace business improvement district. Common Council approval is required for any sale.

4704-4706 W. Center St.

The easternmost building offered is a one-story commercial building at 4704-4706 W. Center St. It contains five commercial stalls covering a total of 4,505 square feet and a plaza space at the eastern edge.

According to city assessment records, the structure was built in 1922. The City of Milwaukee acquired it in 2015 from B&P Financial LLC via property tax foreclosure.

A historic land use investigation report gives virtually every past commercial use possible: pharmacy, meat market, laundry, photography studio, restaurant, barbershop, florist, post office, cobbler, jewelry and coin shop, church, carpet store, life insurance sales office, plaque manufacturer, auto parts store, natural foods store and, most recently, childcare center. There are two separate basements under the building.

The city’s listing sheet says the westernmost portion of the building should be demolished for new construction or a parking lot, but does not indicate that is a result of the condition of the building.

The building is currently boarded up, but the boards are covered by a mural from artist Tia Richardson. The artist worked with third graders from St. Catherine’s School and Artist’s Working in Education to create the mural, known as “Seasons of Joy.” It complements her larger “Sherman Park Rising” mural across the street. Photos from 2015 show a traditional commercial facade with storefront windows.

The asking price is $20,000.

5008-5014 W. Center St.

Just west of N. 50th St., DCD is looking for a buyer for a two-story mixed-use building and an adjacent vacant lot.

The property at 5008-5014 W. Center St. contains a 6,848-square-foot building that was constructed in 1927. The first floor of the Mediterranean Revival-style building was originally split into two commercial stalls, but later reconfigured to house apartments. According to city assessment records, the entire building contains six apartments. George Zagel was the original architect.

A listing sheet suggests a variety of potential redevelopment options: “Office, retail, live-work space, artist studio, medical office, personal or business service, catering, household maintenance/repair service, restaurant.” Housing, as it was long was, could be included on the second floor.

The storefronts previously housed a meat market, grocer, school of dance, antique stripping business, beauty salon and restaurant.

A free-standing, five-bay garage is included at the rear of the property.

The city acquired the property in 2018 from Insider’s Cash LLC via property tax foreclosure.

The 3,780-square-foot vacant lot at 5016-5018 W. Center St. is included in the offering. The city acquired the parcel via property tax foreclosure in 2009. A two-story building, similar in style to the building to the east, was demolished in 2013.

A Wisconsin Historical Society webpage refers to the two buildings as one complex “important to the architectural character of W. Center Street.”

The asking price is $40,000.

5124-5126 W. Center St.

The westernmost property for sale is a two-story, mixed-use building situated between two privately-owned buildings.

The 3,380-square-foot building at 5124-5126 W. Center St. contains a first-floor office and three apartments. Similar to the other building to the east, it was built in 1927 in the Mediterranean Revival style.

Past tenants have included a grocer, dance studio, church, business service use and process server. The city acquired the building in 2015 via property tax foreclosure from Hunter Greene Investments.

DCD is suggesting that some of the former uses could be restored. “Retail, martial arts/dance studio, live-work unit, office, art/photography studio, personal or business service, maintenance or repair service, cafe or recording studio” are given as permitted uses on the listing sheet.

The asking price is $15,000.

The building to the west, 5128-5130 W. Center St., was sold by the city in 2019 for $10,000 to a limited liability company registered to Corday Linton. But a “for sale” sign from the city is still visible on the building.

More information on each property is available on the DCD commercial property page.