Ice cream factory conversion to housing nearly done
It was nearly four years ago when plans surfaced to convert a long-vacant, historic building on Milwaukee’s north side into housing.
Now, the redevelopment of the former Blommer Ice Cream Co. into affordable apartments is almost complete — bringing a $13.9 million investment to the central city.
“This project has had a lot of challenges,” said David Block, of Chicagobased Evergreen Real Estate Group LLC. Evergreen partnered with Milwaukeebased Legacy Midwest Renewal Corp. to develop the apartments.
“I think bringing in the local partners and consultants really helped get it done,” said Block, Evergreen’s director of development.
“We had a strong desire to do this,” said Sally Peltz, president of Legacy Midwest. “But we didn’t necessarily have the know-how.”
That combination of Evergreen’s development track record, which includes another historic conversion project, and Legacy’s credibility with local and state officials, resulted in the development of Legacy Lofts at the Blommer Ice Cream Factory.
Old and new
The 64-unit apartment community, at 1500 W. North Ave., combines the converted former Blommer factory with new construction. The first residents
began moving there in mid-October, with the last units to be completed by the end of November.
The three-story Blommer building, built in 1910 and last used for storage, now has 38 apartments.
Also, a new four-story building, with 26 apartments, was constructed on a neighboring parking lot.
The apartments range from one- to four-bedroom units.
In the older building, the units include polished concrete floors and high ceilings — reminders of its industrial heritage.
The residences in the newly constructed building include seven town homes — each with a private entrance on the street level.
Apartments in both buildings feature lots of windows, bathing the units in natural light.
Legacy Lofts’ amenities for residents include a community room, laundry rooms and a surface parking lot.
Also, 1,565 square feet of street-level commercial space along North 16th Street will serve as offices for Legacy Midwest.
That nonprofit firm, now at 1200 W. North Ave., has played a big role in attracting investment to the neighborhood, and the organization’s new offices help highlight that commitment, said Antonio Butts, executive director of Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
“We’re definitely excited about the project,” said Butts, whose group has led neighborhood improvement efforts.
‘There is momentum’
Legacy Lofts, including the former ice cream factory’s renovated exterior, is designed to help activate the street, contributing to the neighborhood’s broader revitalization.
“The historic rehab is designed to honor the existing building while at the same time modernize it and harmonize it with the rest of the development,” said Falamak Nourzad, principal and cofounder of Continuum Architects + Planners, the project architect.
Other newer nearby developments include Walnut Way’s Innovations and Wellness Commons, which includes a commercial kitchen and other operations at 1615 W. North Ave.; The Tandem, a restaurant at 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave.; and a Save-A-Lot supermarket, 2322 W. Oak St.
“There is momentum over Peltz said.
The apartments were financed in part with federal affordable housing tax credits.
here,”
Developers sell the credits to raise equity cash to help finance apartment buildings. In turn, the developers provide apartments at below-market rents to people earning no more than 60% of the local median income.
Of Legacy Lofts’ 64 apartments, 54 are being provided at below-market rents.
City financing help
The development plans first surfaced in early 2015.
The proposal entered the annual competition that year for affordable housing tax credits, but failed to obtain them.
However, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority awarded tax credits to Evergreen and Legacy Midwest in 2016.
In 2017, the development firms obtained $635,000 in city financing help.
The Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett approved a tax incremental financing district for Legacy Lofts.
Under that plan, the city funds will be provided through annual payments of the development’s property taxes to Evergreen and Legacy Midwest over roughly 20 years.
Those funds were needed when the value of tax credits dropped nationwide because of last year’s reduction in federal tax rates.
Additional financing included state and federal historic tax credits; federal grants, including one which Legacy Midwest obtained through the city; loans from the state housing authority and a commercial lender, and equity cash from Evergreen.
Construction started in November 2017.
The Blommer Ice Cream Co. operated from 1910 to 1929, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The brick building was later used for other purposes, including storage.
Blommer Ice Cream, founded by Conrad and Frances Blommer, became part of Wisconsin Creameries in 1929. That business was later sold to National Dairy.
Their son, William Blommer, became a vice president at Milwaukee’s Ambrosia Chocolate Co. Ambrosia’s factory, 12500 W. Carmen Ave., is now owned by Cargill Corp.
Meanwhile, William Blommer’s sons, Henry, Al and Bernard Blommer, in 1939 founded Chicago-based Blommer Chocolate Co.
That business became one of the world’s largest industrial chocolate producers, and is now being sold to a Japanese firm.
Tom Daykin can be emailed tdaykin@jrn.com and followed Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.