New ‘Healthier’ Restaurant Planned for Riverwest

3276-3278 N. Holton St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Calvin Martin has a big vision for transforming a vacant, city-owned building and dozens more homes.

After successfully going through Acts Housing‘s homebuying counseling program in Beloit, Martin is setting up a home-renovation business and cafe in Milwaukee.

The lauded Acts process involves credit counseling, down payment saving and, often, acquisition of a home in need of repair.

Martin, a process engineer with contracting experience, said the renovation aspect is an “overwhelming thing” for many people. He aims to make it easier and thinks there is a business opportunity to do so.

“I noticed there’s a million people in the high-end market, and a million people living in the uninsured low-end market. But there’s no one that can develop a process in the quality, well-insured, low and medium-budget range,” he told the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Tuesday morning.

Martin, through his new firm Home Hab Renovations, is now working with Acts as a “trusted contractor.” The nonprofit’s website promotes his story as a model for other prospective homeowners and contractors.

“Our business model matches their business model and their ethics,” he said.

He’s also working with Revitalize Milwaukee, a nonprofit that makes free code-compliant repairs for low-income homeowners.

Since August, he said he’s performed 10 renovations in Milwaukee. He said he’s focused on hiring people new to the field who demonstrate some hustle. Acts, Martin said, also encouraged him to set up his business in Milwaukee.

He found a city-owned property at 3276-3278 N. Holton St. that he’s seeking to purchase.

Working with business partner Shannon Mixon, Martin plans for the 3,600-square-foot building to also include a cafe.

“I know how to get it done. She knows how to make sure we don’t fail,” Martin told the committee.

The cafe will be known as Shannon’A’gans, a play on Mixon’s first name and the word “shenanigans.”

“He picked the name,” Mixon interjected. But she’ll lead the cafe.

“It’s going to be a healthier cafe,” said Mixon. “We noticed, just going around the neighborhood, that there weren’t any places to go get something that wasn’t McDonald’s or fried or something like that.”

She said she hoped the business would partner with the Riverwest Farmers Market in the future.

The business would only be open for breakfast, lunch and special events.

“We are anti-alcohol and anti-vape, all of that stuff,” said Martin.

An event space would be constructed in the building, alongside the cafe and contractor’s office.

The upper floor of the building will house three apartments. Martin said he hopes to move to Milwaukee after his son graduates from high school and live in one of the units.

The city acquired the building via property tax foreclosure in 2021 from Agnes Bentley. The Bentley family had owned the property for 30 years.

The city would sell the property to the business partners for $60,000.

According to city assessment records, the two-story building was constructed in 1921.

Historic newspaper records indicate the building has been used for many different purposes in its life, including, in 1940, as the “new headquarters of the 21st Ward unit of the Farmer-Labor-Progressive Federation.” Ward’s Hardware, Math Bandal Hardware and Val Papka Hardware were also tenants.

The sale of the property has the support of area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.

The committee unanimously endorsed the sale. The full council is to consider it at its June 23 meeting.

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