![]() ![]() You might be scratching your head at this point, wondering why she choose this building. Including the city’s grant, she expects the purchase and renovation to cost between $220,000 to $265,000. Quinn purchased the building for $20,000 from the city and will receive a $65,000 grant from the city’s commercial foreclosed property renovation fund. A tour of the building with the new owner showed the structure is in good shape, but a 2012 complaint to the Department of Neighborhood Services doesn’t beat around the bush with the amount of cleanup needed, not to mention “rodents seen entering this building and in the area.” The building currently does not have power and also has a one-inch deep lake in the basement. She’s also looking to use part of the building as a “flex space” for her budding photography practice.īesides all her planned renovations, Quinn has her work cut out. “Down the road,” Quinn said, she intends to turn part of the building into a gallery space. In a bold statement that may have given her contracting team a jolt, Quinn announced she’ll have the space open in nine months, but is “ambitiously hoping for four or five months.” Who’s in charge of delivering on such an aggressive timeline? Todd Fugh of Innovative Remodeling & Restoration. She also plans to move into the second-floor apartment, of which little remains. She’ll convert the first-floor of the building into a studio space for her design work, but also intends to carve out space for non-profits to meet. Quinn has grand plans for the 2,457 square-foot building. Finally, it became tax delinquent and the city was able to step in and issue a request-for-proposals for a new owner. The former owner, Henry Nunnemacher, continued to pay the taxes, even as the city tacked on additional charges for having to mow the grass or shovel snow. The 12-year council veteran noted that as long as he’s been in office people have complained about the property at neighborhood meetings, but the city’s hands were tied. ![]() The district’s alderman Terry Witkowski was also on hand, whom the mayor praised as a “a very consistent and persistent advocate for the city moving this property.” Witkowski returned the favor, noting that Milwaukee “has become a model for what to do with, thanks to the leadership of Mayor Barrett.” Witkowski, speaking with a bit of hyperbole, declared the building “has been vacant probably 20 years” and boarded up for at least 10 of those years (city records indicate it was vacant by about 2009). And three, the city “would rather have this property generating property taxes than using property taxes.” The latter, the mayor wryly acknowledged, is something the new owner might not be so thrilled about. Two, having too many foreclosed properties in an area can trigger a downward spiral of lower values and more foreclosures that destroys neighborhoods. Barrett cited three key reasons the city “feels so strongly about putting these properties back into circulation.” One, the city wants to see individuals and families living in the homes, rather than having them sit vacant, which chews up city resources. ![]()
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