Villard Avenue Church Finds New Life

5229 N. 51st Blvd. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A vacant church would be reborn as a home for Kingdom Empowered Ministries under a plan approved Tuesday by the Milwaukee Common Council.

Pastor Clem Richardson and his wife Barbara will purchase the former Peace Evangelical Lutheran Chuch, 5229 N. 51st Blvd.

“God blessed us to start a ministry in 2018,” said Clem to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee on July 6.

“The vision is to see people come out of oppression and learn financial literacy, spiritual wholeness and economic development. Once a person has been dealt with spiritually they can really put themselves together mentally,” said the pastor, who said he is a licensed therapist as well.

Richardson said he currently works with incarcerated people on their re-entry to society from prison, part of Project RETURN. “We meet the people right where they’re at.”

The couple won a request for proposals, which drew three bidders, and are to pay $325,000 for the property, which the city acquired through property tax foreclosure in 2013. It’s located just south of McGovern Park, at the intersection of W. Villard Avenue and N. 51st Boulevard.

The city estimates $158,000 worth of repairs are needed to be made to the structure, built in 1952, and an adjacent parsonage.

“We are blessed to have some men that are carpenters, I used to be a carpenter too,” said Clem of the ministry’s plan to put in sweat equity.

“The biggest thing would be a new HVAC system because the boiler went out on it,” said Department of City Development real estate specialist Dwayne Edwards.

The church currently operates from 7607 W. Townsend St. The pastor said it is full on Sundays.

Edwards said the congregation has 60 members. “And they are growing,” he said.

A parsonage property next to the church would be leased to a private tenant, generating revenue for the church. That use would be fully taxable.

The church itself is expected to be property tax-exempt. But the Richardsons are accepting a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement as part of the purchase. The church will owe the city $3,000 annually.

The committee and full council unanimously approved the sale.

Photos

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Related Legislation: File 221429