City declares apartment building a public nuisance

An apartment building on Milwaukee’s near west side that has been the source of complaints about public drinking, prostitution and drug dealing has been declared a public nuisance and placed in receivership, city officials announced Friday. The two-story, 15-unit building at 2408 W. Kilbourn Ave. has had three owners in the past three years who have ignored requests by city leaders and residents to abate the problems, Assistant City Attorney Nick DeSiato said. The property has been owned by NTO LLC, the registered agent of which is DFN LLC, for about a year and a half, DeSiato said outside the building Friday afternoon. NTO has an address of 17145 W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield. Officials for the firm could not be reached Friday. “There are people impacted by this everyday,” DeSiato said, pointing to used condoms and “corner-cut” bags used in drug dealing. The property has nine building code violations and one pending. It has had 12 city ordinance violations since July 2010 for vandalism, public drinking and illegal occupancy, among other things, DeSiato said. Milwaukee police have been sent to the building about 50 times since April 2014 for criminal activity including robbery, drug dealing and fighting, according to the city’s application to have the property placed in receivership. Examples of the offenses include: ■ A tenant was punched by a man holding a metal pipe who took the tenant’s bicycle and his keys, along with a boom box and a television from the tenant’s apartment. The assailant also was a tenant and was convicted in connection with the incident. ■ A man and woman with a baby were reported to be selling drugs in front of the building. When officers arrived, they found two men and a woman with a baby in a stroller beneath a “no loitering sign.” The woman was arrested after officers found marijuana and cocaine on her, and one of the men was arrested on a municipal warrant for resisting/obstructing an officer. The other man told police his brother lived in the building. ■ A man and woman were injured by a man who entered an apartment and stole two television sets. On Friday, the litter strewn about the building lay in contrast to the rest of the area. “I don’t see used condoms when I walk up and down the block,” DeSiato said. Most of the apartment buildings in the area have been maintained fairly well, said Keith K. Stanley, executive director of the Avenues West Association, a neighborhood improvement group. “Not this one,” Stanley said Friday. Ivory Brooks, 20, who has lived in the building since May with her boyfriend and two sons, ages 1 and 2, said their apartment is in need of storm windows and that the cold water doesn’t work in the bathtub. Brooks said she hasn’t noticed any illegal activity at the building but added, “I try not be around here too much.” She’s uncertain what the receivership will mean for her future, though she and other […]

Bill Hurwitz retiring from Milwaukee Radio Alliance, says stations still not for sale

Veteran Milwaukee radio sales and management executive Bill Hurwitz will retire from the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, but he says it has nothing to do with any pending changes in the three-station group’s ownership. The stations are alternative rock WLUM-FM (102.1), adult contemporary WLDB-FM (93.3) and oldies 100.3 FM/1290 AM (WZTI). The Milwaukee Radio Alliance was formed in 1996 to run retired Green Bay Packers lineman Willie Davis’ WLUM and 1290 AM and the station now known as WDLB, which is owned by the Lynett family of Scranton, Pa. The stations have been the source of acquisition speculation for years because they are the only ones in Milwaukee that are not part of a larger nationwide group. The group has its headquarters and studios in Menomonee Falls. “This has nothing to do with the ownership of the company,” Hurwitz told me Thursday. “The Lynetts and the Davises are absolutely, positively committed to Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Radio Alliance.” Willie Davis has retired from a direct role in the business and his son Duane Davis is the chief operating officer and vice president of the family radio business All Pro Broadcasting. “I still talk to Willie every day, but Willie is retired,” Hurwitz said. Executives with E.W. Scripps Co., which owns WTMJ-AM (620) and WKTI-FM (94.5) in Milwaukee, have said they are seeking acquisitions in the Milwaukee radio market. Scripps top radio executive Steve Wexler could not immediately be reached for comment. Hurwitz turned 64 in July and will remain at the Milwaukee Radio Alliance this fall as the group seeks his replacement. Hurwitz said he and his wife Lynn want to relocate to a warmer climate and his children and grandchildren live in the southwest. “Truthfully, I thought that the time was right,” Hurwitz said. Hurwitz joined All Pro Broadcasting in the mid-1990s as national sales manager and retained that title when the Milwaukee Radio Alliance was formed in 1996. He was promoted to vice president and general manager in 2003. Hurwitz began his radio career in 1975 as a sales account executive for Shamrock Communications’ rock station WQFM-FM (93.3). He also sold advertising for WOKY-AM (920) and became sales director in the mid-1980s at WISN-AM (1130) and the old WLTQ-FM (97.3) when they were owned by Hearst Radio.

Finding Père Jacques Marquette in his birthplace … and mine

11 years ago, I took a three-and-a-half year break from full-time freelancing and got a job at Marquette University, where I helped to produce many marketing pieces for the school. I don’t remember anymore why I was searching for information about Jesuit priest and 17th century explorer Jacques Marquette, the university’s namesake, but I do remember sitting in my office reading Wikipedia for background information when I made a really cool discovery: Père Marquette and I were both born in Laon, a city in the north of France. I left my office feeling happy and excited – it wasn’t often that Laon came up in my every day life, let alone this – and went down the hall to share my discovery. My boss wasn’t all that interested, but Steve, Joan and Nikki were; their appreciation for oddball details is probably one reason we remain such good friends to this day. A year after I started the job at Marquette, I applied to graduate school and was accepted as a non-degree student in the English program. My boss may not have been wowed about Father Marquette, but she did let me take time off during the day to attend classes. I switched to degree status, accepted a research assistantship, left the job – my last day was the day after my husband and I went to see Todd Rundgren at The Pabst Theater – and finished my last year of grad school full time. Full-time graduate school permits you to pretty much think only about grad school. Père Marquette and Laon faded from memory. Last fall, my father, who had been stationed at the Laon-Couvron Air Force Base serving NATO when I was born, asked, “Have you ever been back to France since you were born there?” I told him it was on my list but, no, I hadn’t been there yet. “I’d like to take you,” he said. In June this year, my father and I went to France together. We rented a tiny Citröen at the Charles de Gaulle Aéroport in Paris and drove up to Laon, about 130 kilometers northeast. I could hardly believe I was there. Heretofore, Laon had only existed in my mind through some black-and-white photos and stories my father had shared with me over the years and through page 360 of my old art history book from college, which features the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon, billed by the editors as a consummate example of Early Gothic architecture. I was not prepared for how medieval Laon is. How vibrant and populated, sophisticated and beautiful. I had pictured my birthplace as a tiny village, but I was actually born in one of the biggest cities in the Picardy region of France and the capital city of the Aisne Department (what we might call a county here in the States). I was in love. My father had been back to France four times since leaving in the 1950s and had a lot of friends, with whom […]

Townhouses for vets, workers proposed for former Esser Paint property in Milwaukee

Gorman & Co. Inc. is planning 40 townhouses for veterans, workers and families on the city of Milwaukee-owned former Esser Paint Co. property on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The roughly $7.5 million project is the latest in efforts to attract more development and jobs to the city’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor. Gorman & Co. for years has been buying and renovating foreclosed houses in the area, and plans to take on more of those in conjunction with its project at the Esser Paint land, said Ted Matkom, Wisconsin market president for Gorman & Co., based in Oregon, Wis. “It’ll really be a workforce housing initiative to service employers in the neighborhood like Harley-Davidson,” Matkom said. The vacant Esser Paint property is at West Galena and North 32nd streets. The city acquired it in 2009 and spent years cleaning the property and demolishing the former industrial buildings there. “That whole area has been a blighted industrial area in a residential neighborhood,” Matkom said of Esser Paint. “The city has spent substantial amounts of time and energy getting it ready for development.” Gorman & Co. responded to a city request for development proposals on the land. It is planning 40 two-story townhouses, Matkom said. About 15 percent of those would be market-rate, but the remainder would be reserved for low-income residents. The company plans to apply for state low-income housing tax credits in January for the project, he said. Ten of the apartments would be for veterans and their families, Matkom said. Also planned on site is a community center that would include space for the Washington Park Partners to use, he said. If the deal comes together, Gorman could buy the land and close on its financing in the fourth quarter of 2016, with construction starting that winter, Matkom said. In addition, the company is working with the city to renovate more single-family houses in the area around Esser Paint, Matkom said. Those could be rehabbed using state or city grants and be rented to low-income families. “Surrounding the Esser Paint site, there are several really blighted tax foreclosed homes, so we are looking to take control of those,” Matkom said. On both the Esser Paint development and the surrounding foreclosure rehabs, Gorman would work with the local building trades to provide training for people coming out of the prison system, Matkom said. That program would include training in the classroom and the field.

New mixed-use library to help reinvigorate Mitchell St.

Right now, it’s just open space on the first floor of the gracious Hills building in the heart of a historic neighborhood on Milwaukee’s near south side. But by late 2016 or early 2017, there will be books, computers and furnishings in a 21st-century library that will be designed to serve as an educational and neighborhood anchor at 906-910 W. Historic Mitchell St. On Wednesday, the public was invited to an open house to tour the site and offer suggestions for the future home of the Milwaukee Public Library branch. When completed, the Mitchell St. facility will replace the near half-century-old branch at 1432 W. Forest Home Ave. The new library is part of a trend in Milwaukee of replacing old brancheswith new ones that are part of mixed-use developments. In mixed-use development, retail shopping is often placed on the first floor with housing on the upper floors. The city has tweaked the model by putting libraries at street level with housing above. The Mitchell St. library will be topped by 57 market-rate apartments. “We are on the leading edge nationally of using a mixed-use model for library development,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. The model — already used at the East Branch and Villard Square — enables the city to get more bang for its buck. By 2020, six Milwaukee libraries will be mixed-use facilities. “We are really proud of the fact that at a time when resources are strapped we continue to invest in the libraries,” Barrett said. Gorman Co. is the developer of the $10.4 million project, which includes $4.4 million in city funding for the library. The firm is applying for state and federal historic tax credits. The apartments will be designed by Quorum. Architectural firm HGA will design the new 16,000-square-foot library. There will be an attempt to blend the old with the new. The building, constructed in 1919 as the Hills Department Store, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It retains architectural flourishes, including decorative features at the top of columns, historic stair railings and a mezzanine. “Those are things you just can’t duplicate in a new building,” said Jane Dedering, associate vice president of HGA. Dedering said modern libraries need flexible spaces to cater to multiple uses and patrons who range from toddlers to seniors. “Daylight is huge,” she said. “And really connecting with the community is important so it doesn’t feel generic.” Sam McGovern-Rowen, Milwaukee’s library construction project manager, said people constantly ask “what do we need libraries for? Part of the thing we need them for is they’re town halls of the neighborhood, a gathering place, a community center.” The Mitchell St. site sits nearby the St. Anthony School of Milwaukee and is within walking distance of South Division High School. The library will serve one of the youngest and most diverse communities in the city. “We want the kids in this city to be using our libraries both in the summer and after school,” Barrett said. Paula Kiely, […]

Overshadowed a bit by neighbors, 833 East expects tenants by March

As Northwestern Mutual‘s office tower rises to its north, and plans proceed for the Couture apartment high-rise just to its east, the 17-floor 833 East office building under construction near downtown Milwaukee’s lakefront can sometimes be overlooked. That project is well over half-completed following a June 2014 groundbreaking and is scheduled to be open for its tenants by March 1, said Lyle Landowski, a partner at the Wisconsin office of Colliers International, the building’s leasing agent. “We’re part of that cluster,” Landowski said about the lakefront-area projects. Irgens Partners LLC is developing 833 East. The building is owned by 833 Development Partners LLC, an Irgens affiliate. The 358,000-square-foot 833 East, at 833 E. Michigan St., has landed tenants for 201,855 square feet, or 56% of its space, according to Irgens. The Godfrey & Kahn law firm will be the $101 million building’s anchor tenant, leasing the top three floors totaling 77,800 square feet. The firm will move there from the BMO Harris building, 780 N. Water St. Other future office tenants include Jason Inc., Irgens, Colliers International, First American, Catalyst Construction and Cresa Milwaukee. The street-level commercial space will include Rare Steakhouse, a restaurant by operated by Madison-based Noble Chef Hospitality. More tenants will be announced soon, Landowski said. Irgens hopes to have the building fully leased within 18 months of its completion. 833 East’s features include a sky bridge that connects with the U.S. Bank Center, 777 E. Wisconsin Ave., the city’s tallest office tower. 833 East includes floor-to-ceiling windows to provide views of Lake Michigan, and a private fitness center. The building replaced a one-story parking garage, which was demolished. A $495,213 state grant helped pay for the $6.3 million demolition and environmental cleanup costs. The main financing is a $71 million loan from a group of area banks. The Private Bank and Associated Bank are each providing $24 million, and Bank Mutual and Anchor Bank are each providing $11.5 million. Irgens had discussed with city officials the possibility of obtaining financing help. But that idea, opposed by some aldermen, was dropped. The firm publicly announced plans for 833 East in June 2012. That was one month before developer Rick Barrett announced plans to develop the 44-story Couture, with 302 apartments, on land that now houses the Downtown Transit Center, 909 E. Michigan St., just east of 833 East. The $122 million Couture’s delayed plans are moving forward after Preserve Our Parks in August dropped its legal challenge to the building’s development. Barrett hopes to buy the county-owned site by the end of 2015, with transit center demolition to begin next spring. Barrett’s firm, Barrett Lo Visionary Development LLC, and Irgens adjusted their plans so the buildings better complement each other, with a focus on not blocking views of the future office tenants. “We think the Couture is the ideal neighbor,” Landowski said. Meanwhile, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. in December 2012 announced plans to build its 32-story office building south of E. Mason St., about a block […]

King Building redevelopment underway

Developer Scott Genke, SG Property Development + Management, announced that he received his construction permits from the city of Milwaukee and has begun the redevelopment construction of the King Building, 2534 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Genke purchased the building when it was in foreclosure. It was formerly owned by Michael Marx. In addition to the commercial offerings on the ground floor, the redevelopment includes five live/work units on the ground floor and nine apartments in a new second story addition. The apartments will be a mix of one and two bedroom units. There will be 15 parking spots plus tenant storage in the basement. There are 12 deeded parking spaces, for daytime use, in the Bay View Library’s parking lot. During the hours when the library is closed, the lot will open to the public until 2:30am, providing more than 30 parking spots. The city assessor’s property data indicate that the brick masonry building was built in 1928 and is 24,870 square feet. Genke projects that construction will be complete in early 2016.

Council names MaryNell Regan to lead Fire and Police Commission

The Common Council on Tuesday approved the nomination of MaryNell Regan to be executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. Regan had been an assistant city attorney. Ten aldermen voted in favor of her appointment. Aldermen Joe Davis, Bob Donovan, Mark Borkowski and Russell Stamper voted against it. Ald. Milele Coggs abstained. Davis called for a more open and transparent appointment process. He said he believed it was critical that the commission be led by “someone who truly represents the community interests.” The position has been vacant since October, when Michael Tobin left for a similar position in Washington, D.C. Also Tuesday: ■ Borkowski was sworn in to serve out the remainder of Joe Dudzik’s term in the 11th Aldermanic District. “Let the games begin,” Borkowski told the council members. He said his hard-fought campaign for Dudzik’s seat was “a sneak preview of the spring elections.” “Everyone will be challenged,” he said afterward. “No seat is safe.” ■Educator, social justice and civil rights advocate Luis “Tony” Baez was presented with the 2015 Frank P. Zeidler Public Service Award. “Tony Baez is a national and international figure who has nonetheless devoted his talents and sensitivity to serve people in the Milwaukee area,” Arthur Heitzer, chairman of the selection committee said. “A champion of bilingual education to maximize the positive contributions of Latinos and others in our broader community, Dr. Baez has served dozens of organizations as a volunteer and/or board member,” Heitzer said. Baez retired earlier this year from Centro Hispano Milwaukee, where he served for eight years as executive director. He also served as provost and chief academic officer of Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Marcus Hotels names Gerald Rappaport GM at Oklahoma City hotel

Marcus Hotels & Resorts has promoted one of its own to a new post in Oklahoma City. The Milwaukee-based hospitality group named Gerald Rappaport, a familiar name in the hotel business in Milwaukee, to be the new general manager for the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City. Rappaport will make the move from serving as general manager of the Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, Mo. He has had a long career in Milwaukee-area hotels, managing downtown properties Hilton Milwaukee City Center, the Intercontinental and the Hyatt Regency. He has also served as GM for the Sheraton Brookfield. “Gerald has been a very capable leader in our organization and in the hospitality industry, overseeing renovations and operations at major properties,” said Joseph Khairallah, chief operating officer of Marcus Hotels & Resorts. “He is very involved in the communities in which he serves and is looking forward to his move to Oklahoma City. We know he will be a tremendous asset to the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in carrying on its tradition as the premier hotel in Oklahoma City.” Marcus Hotels & Resorts is a unit of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp. (NYSE: MCS), which also operates the Marcus Theatres chain of movie theaters.

Jonathan Manyo of Morel

Jonathan Manyo, chef and owner of Morel restaurant in Walker’s Point, says he has always been thoughtful about food. “I turned vegetarian before I went to college.” says Manyo. “I didn’t really have a reason other than I didn’t really like the quality of meat that was out there, that was available.” Manyo, who went to UW-Platteville for his undergraduate degree, says it was a tough time to be a vegetarian in Wisconsin. Options for vegetarians at restaurants were slim, so he began cooking more and more at home, a practice for which he soon realized he had a passion. By the time he enrolled in culinary school at the California Culinary Academy, he’d decided to be vegan. But, the decision didn’t stick. “I was in class, and this guy brought in 20 of the world’s best cheeses, perfectly ripened,” he recalls. “And that pretty much ended my veganism.” But, when he gave up veganism, Manyo didn’t give up being thoughtful about food. Instead, his focus turned to another aspect of eating: finding what was local and what was best in any given location. “The first non-seafood meat I actually ate after being vegan was snails,” he says. “And that was while I was abroad in Burgundy, France after culinary school. I was there, I was drinking Burgundy wine, and that was the perfect pairing.” Manyo says experiences like that began to reshape the way he thought about food. “That was where I really learned about the true meaning of terroir,” he says. “And right now I’m really trying to find that here in Wisconsin. What makes Wisconsin food Wisconsin food? And why does it taste different than something grown in Oregon?” They’re all questions that Manyo says help to shape not only his perspective, but also the food he serves at Morel. We were intrigued. So, we caught up with Manyo this summer to talk with him a bit more about his career, his influences and his guiltiest dining pleasures. You spent a decent amount of your recent career in Portland. What made you move back to Milwaukee? I’d decided I really wanted to open a restaurant. My aunt and uncle, who invested in Morel, really wanted me to open it in Oregon. But, I feel like I was so west coast oriented that it would’ve just ended up being another restaurant like all the others. Talking with friends from high school and family, I realized what a support network I’d have if I moved back home. And, that combined with the fact that I thought I could bring Milwaukee something different, made me move home. How have your impressions of the scene changed since moving back? It’s really great to see that so many great chefs are here and coming back here. You’re starting to see chefs branching off, doing their own thing and experimenting. The restaurants are getting to be actual expressions of those chefs, and that creates such a great diversity in restaurants. It’s great. People […]

A People on the Move spotlight

Video from sentencing shows guns, threats against police