Vacant Buildings Along 6th Street Will Get New Life
Crystal Lemmer's burgeoning real estate career is expanding to commercial properties.
1978 S. 6th St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Crystal Lemmer is about to turn her classroom training into real-world impact.
The emerging developer intends to purchase and renovate two vacant buildings, a single-family home and a small commercial building, at 1978 S. 6th St.
“I’m a proud MPS graduate of Bradley Tech, kind of where I was introduced to the trades,” she told the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee on Feb. 25. “I bought my first property investment back when I was 21, and kind of got my hands dirty and fell in love.”
She’s moving from residential to commercial projects.
Lemmer, 33, graduated from the lauded Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program in 2024. ACRE provides a 26-week training program for existing professionals, often minorities, for careers in real estate development, investing or property management.
While continuing to serve as the managing director of IT operations at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, she will embark on a $125,000 development project. It starts with buying the property for $5,000. The city acquired the property via tax foreclosure in late 2023.
Lemmer intends to renovate the house first and use the income to fund the renovation of the commercial property.
Her vision is for a “community cafe or meeting space” to use the commercial space. She already owns the empty lot to the east, 1979 S. 5th Pl. She purchased that property in 2022 for $11,000.
She said she remembers the commercial building, addressed as 564 W. Rogers St., being a bodega and a restaurant before that.
“I think it’s a great place to start for somebody like me that is new,” said Lemmer.
The Common Council is on board.
“I look forward to it. We’ve had a great conversation. That building has been blighted for a while,” said Common Council President and area Alderman José G. Pérez.
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II praised her initiative.
The council unanimously approved the land sale on March 4.
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