Heated Historic Commission Meeting Yields Profanity, New Historic District

Millerand Apartments. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

One wouldn’t think granting historic protection to the former high-end apartment buildings and large homes along W. Wisconsin Avenue would be a big deal. After all, the structures have been there for more than 100 years and endured several waves of owners.

But then Monday’s Historic Preservation Commission happened.

At one point, Alderman Robert Bauman and attorney Richard Donner engaged in a heated back-and-forth about Donner’s client, controversial landlord Youssef Berrada. The exchange included frequent interruptions, finger pointing and ultimately a gavel being slammed.

At another point, a different property owner took the microphone to blast the commission and call one of the members a “mother f**ker.”

At multiple points along the way, Jesus Christ was invoked.

But despite the bitter debate, the commission voted unanimously to designate the Millerand Apartments, 3035 W. Wisconsin Ave., as a historic property. With one dissenting vote, it also voted to create a new historic district made up of the five former single-family homes just west of the apartment building.

The designations would establish guidelines and a process for altering the exteriors of any of the properties, but the owners would retain the right to appeal to the Common Council.

And it’s the Common Council that still must approve the historic designations in what now promises to be hotly-contested hearings.

What Happened?

The issue was set in motion in January by nominator James Dieter, who lives in a nearby historic mansion. But it can be traced back to Berrada’s massive investment in the neighborhood in recent years. Berrada is Milwaukee’s largest landlord, with more than 9,000 units, and his buildings are often identifiable by boulders placed in front.

But he is said to have no plans to do that with the Millerand.

“The property owner is not denying the property is historic and is proud of that,” said Donner of the property, designed by Herbert Tullgren of Tullgren & Sons.

Donner said Berrada’s concerns were that “there are a lot of ugly windows in there now” from the 1980s. “Not historically accurate windows, let’s put it that way.”

But commission senior planner Tim Askin said the key restrictions apply only to the remaining original wood windows. Donner asked for a more defined exception because of the cost. He also said the designation shouldn’t include the lawn and rear parking lot.

“I think we have to be careful with this,” said Commissioner Matt Jarosz, a UW-Milwaukee architectural history professor. “Tullgren is an important architect… Besides our comptemporary architects in Milwaukee, if you ask any of my students to name an architect in Milwaukee’s history, it would be Tullgren…. It’s important that this building get protected.”

Dieter opposed Berrada’s request for an exception. “We have to have some kind of rule of law here,” said the nominator. He criticized Berrada for quickly stripping the historic character of several buildings on W. Wells Street “We have lost our whole Wells Street with historical significance to gray, military, army buildings.” He said he would have nominated the other buildings, but Berrada moved too fast to alter them.

“We are pretty good at spending other people’s money when it comes to historic preservation and managing their buildings,” said Donner, referring to the city’s historic preservationists. Donner noted that Berrada operated legally.

The attorney said Berrada saved a vacant building at 3133 W. Wisconsin Ave., driving up its assessed value by 76%. “The city is collecting taxes, people are living there now.” He said it was a win for the city and that the commission was vilifying Barrada and being unfair when it decided to “rake him over the coals.”

“You should take a walk with me sometime in my neighborhood,” said Bauman. “You want to defend Mr. Berrada and defend how he manages his properties, decorates his properties, renovates his properties. Walk with me up and down 27th Street, walk with me over to 26th and Kilbourn, where I was this Saturday, it’s a complete mess due to his tenants. Piles of trash in the gutters, on the tree bridges, eye-witness testimony from owner occupants who live across the street who say it is the Berrada property that is destroying the property.”

Bauman said Donner was painting Berrada “as the greatest guy since Jesus Christ himself to come in here and renovate these properties. That’s just not factually accurate.”

“That’s politics not preservation,” said Donner.

“You brought up 3133,” responded Bauman before chair Ann Pieper Eisenbrown could slam her gavel and attempt to stop the back-and-forth.

Bauman said Berrada acted legally, though he “steamrolled” neighbors and the commission didn’t have to praise him.

“Taking away all the emotion and all the history, I move to approve the permanent designation of this building based on the reports that we have, the history of the building and its significance in the city of Milwaukee and the architect who designed it. Period,” said Commissioner Patti Keating Kahn. “None of the rest matters.”

The Millerand was approved for historic designation for its embodiment of an architectural style (“high integrity example of electric Beau Arts style”) and its identification as the work of an architect whose individual works have influenced the development of the city.

The Fight Over The Adjacent Homes

A proposed historic district made up of five Grand Avenue homes yielded a much uglier debate.

Askin said the five houses that form the district were designed by “powerhouse firms” of the late 1800s and early 1900s and notable families, though they’ve now all found other uses ranging from offices to a bed and breakfast.

One was designed by Edward Townsend Mix and is believed to be one of the only single-family homes remaining by Milwaukee’s preeminent 19th-century architect. Other homes were designed by Crane and Barkhausen, Pabst architect Otto Strack and H.P Schnetzky & Son. The fifth home in the cluster, an “eclectic bungalow,” was built in 1913 by an unknown architect.

But not all of the property owners are on board. None have testified in favor, though several neighbors did at an earlier meeting.

“We want nothing to do with this arrogant commission,” said Eric Sobush, a co-owner of the building at 3121 W. Wisconsin Ave. His firm uses the home as an office, and Sobush said he lives on the third floor. “Take my building out. I don’t want any part of this.”

Sobush said the designation would damage his property value. Others oppose the designation, he alleged. “Why they’re not here, I don’t know… I’m shaking I’m so pissed off,” he said. “No one ever offered anything to us. We want nothing to do with you people, don’t you get it?”

He accused Jarosz of pushing off a meeting to Bauman, the area alderman, and Bauman of not responding and not looking at him.

“I’m happy to stare you in the face. It’s not a problem at all,” said Bauman, who was holding a city-issued iPad. “Christ.”

“No Jesus Christ you, you mother f**ker,” shouted Sobush.

“Let’s have a civilized conversation,” requested Pieper Eisenbrown.

Changing directions, she asked why commission staffers had not met with Sobush. “This should be a transparent process,” said the commission chair.

“We spoke with anyone who contacted us. This owner did not contact us,” said Askin. The planner said the commission followed its normal process of sending certified letters to each property owner. He said his coworker Andrew Stern, who wasn’t present, communicated with the property owners on Sobush’s side of the street.

Pieper Eisenbrown, who had to repeatedly stop Sobush from interrupting, said there should be more transparency in the process. “I won’t talk much longer and then you can say your piece,” she said.

“I don’t know what else I can say. We don’t want this and you are shoving it down our throats,” said Sobush. “We are a group of real estate investors. We have rehabbed 200 houses in this city and this is an insulting slap in the face.”

He accused Bauman of quietly running the process. “Bauman holds all the strings,” said Sobush.

“No he doesn’t,” said Keating Kahn.

“Well, you’re all afraid of him,” Sobush said.

“Hardly,” said Keating Kahn with a laugh. “Sorry.”

The discussion then moved to approving the designation. On the south side of the street, the included properties are the Sobush property, 3121, as well as the homes at 3111 and 3127. On the north side of the street, the district includes the Brumder Mansion at 3046 and the bungalow at 3034 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Askin’s report concluded that they are worthy of designation as a cohesive district for their identification with the “successful society families” that hired prominent architects to build them, their high-integrity examples of Queen Anne, Jacobethan, Arts & Crafts, and Craftsman Bungalow architecture, their association with prominent architects and their unique location as the “last intact cluster of residential properties along Grand Avenue.”

“I think it was a good report. It was very thorough, it was very deep. And there is good substantiation of those four findings of fact from the ordinance,” said Jarosz in moving to approve the nomination.

“I am opposed for transparency purposes and cooperation and collaboration purposes,” said Pieper Eisenbrown, the lone dissenting voice.

“You’re all very arrogant,” said Sobush as he walked away. On social media, his partner Mark Roeker can be seen endorsing Bauman’s opponent, Rayhainio Boynes, with a large sign in front of the house. But while it’s now in the 4th District represented by Bauman, the south side of the block and Sobush’s property have been redistricted into District 10 for the upcoming election.

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Related Legislation: File 231625, File 231623