Custom Shipping Container Company Will Take Over Former Fiebrantz Station

Former Fiebrantz bus station, 1900 W. Fiebrantz Ave. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

Milwaukee County is poised to sell the former Fiebrantz Bus Station for $500,000 to a pair of buyers that plan to employ as many as 24 people at the facility.

Entrepreneurs and business owners Tom Daugherty and Lyle Stoflet want to relocate two of their businesses, Containers Up and Green Frog, to the 90,000-square-foot facility.

In July, Milwaukee County revealed there was a buyer for the former Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) property at 1900 W. Fiebrantz Ave. to MKE Northside LLC, Daugherty and Stoflet’s firm, but additional details were limited.

A new report from the county’s Economic Development Division shows that Stoflet and Daugherty plan to relocate the manufacturing processes for two of their business. Containers Up is a manufacturing company that uses shipping containers for custom outdoor bars and buildings. Green Frog is a portable toilet rental company.

The Fiebrantz facility is just west of Rufus King High School and the owners of the two businesses have “committed to providing internship and apprenticeship opportunities for Rufus King High School students, allowing students to gain practical experience in manufacturing,” according to the Economic Development Division.

Once up and running, the partners intend to employ 12 people, which is expected to double to 24 over a two-year period. The Containers Up jobs will be skilled positions like welding and fabricating, according to the report, paying $17.50 to $45 an hour. The Green Frog jobs will involve cleaning and maintenance and will pay $15.50 to $25 an hour.

The business owners are finalizing a purchase deal with the county. The Economic Development Division is reporting that the deal would require 25% of firms working on the redevelopment be women and or minority-owned businesses.

Containers Up and Green Frog are currently located at 4997 N. 33rd St.

The partners also operate custom-furniture company Gear Grove, 4720 N. 27th St., as well as metal and wood contract manufacturer Stratus Industries

The Fiebrantz property is composed of two distinct parcels. One is a 3.8-acre parcel with a three-story, 90,482-square-foot building containing the service garage, bus terminal and dispatch office. There is also a 0.25-acre parking lot located across W. Fiebrantz Avenue.

The station was built in 1929 by The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company (TMER&L) and was a hub for the city’s streetcars. It came into county possession in 1975 when the county acquired the flagging private company that was operating the local transit system.

The county closed the Fiebrantz station 2018 as a cost-saving move. It was one property shuttered in a long-running effort to save money by consolidating the county’s real estate footprint. It was the oldest, smallest bus depot in the system, and the staff and fleet had been shrinking since the late 1970s, according to Donna Brown-Martin, director of the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation. It was no longer considered critical infrastructure for the transit system.

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