Developer Seeks To Be Part of King Drive Renaissance

2976 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. in May 2023. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

It’s still more than a year from completion, but the development of a new Martin Luther King Library branch is already having positive effects on the neighborhood.

Developers Ryan Pattee and Omri Ben Yaish purchased a vacant, two-story commercial building across the street from the long-awaited, mixed-use library development.

“We’ve been following King Drive development for quite a few years now, and have been waiting for the right building to pop up,” said Pattee. “The architectural significance and intricacies of the building were very hard to pass up.”

Located at the southeast corner of N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and W. Chambers Street, the two-story, 15,700-square-foot building has large storefront windows and a Mediterranean-style facade.

The building, 2976 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., is an unusual one, owing to the slope of the site and its longtime use. It was built as a car dealership and the second story, which becomes nearly level with W. Chambers Street at the rear of the building, allows vehicles to drive right into the building’s upper floor. A series of dealerships and service shops occupied the building after it was constructed in 1927. Tenants have included Oldsmobile dealer The North Side Auto Sales, high-end-focused Milrace Motors, Jaguar of Milwaukee, used car dealer Koeppel Motors and Garfield Chevrolet.

The second floor is wide open, with exposed trusses supporting a high ceiling.

“We have some immense interest from a local craft manufacturer to occupy the space,” said Pattee. “We see the bright future of King Drive and are happy to be a small part of the renaissance.”

The property was acquired for $260,000.

A little more than a decade ago, the city was prepared to consider an empty lot a better outcome. In 2011, the Department of Neighborhood Services was referred to review the building for condemnation given a large, sustained leak in the roof. Several building code violations were issued as the building changed hands several times for prices less than $30,000. Its last tenant appears to have been A&G Used Appliances and Repair.

While Pattee works to finalize a tenant, construction continues on the new library complex. The $38.8 million project will include 93 apartments in three buildings. A new 17,000-square-foot library will be located in the southernmost building, beneath 42 apartments. The mid-block Garfield Theatre building, 2933-2957 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., is being redeveloped. The two-story commercial building and lobby structure that faces the street will become eight live-work, two-story apartments while the theater structure, located along the alley at the rear of the site, is now being demolished for use as surface parking. A four-story, 43-unit apartment building will be constructed at the north end of the block.

The Pattee Group has already made one investment in the area, albeit further south. Earlier this year, it acquired the historic Second German Methodist Episcopal Church, 140 W. Garfield Ave. That $400,000 purchase also included two adjacent single-family homes and a vacant lot.

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