Neighborhood revival draws upon the arts
Building’s conversion to studios is Mitchell Street’s latest arts project
Artist Shane McAdams says he’s “not a building expert.”
But McAdams, who operates a gallery on Milwaukee’s West Historic Mitchell Street, is learning — even while pursuing his next development project in that reviving neighborhood.
“You learn a lot faster when you have money invested in it, and things have to happen,” said McAdams.
McAdams, who co-owns Real Tinsel gallery, 1013 W. Historic Mitchell St., plans to convert a largely vacant building, 723-725 W. Historic Mitchell St., into artist studios and other new uses.
It would be the fourth arts-related development since 2018 on the street. While the historic neighborhood business district has several vacant storefronts between South Fifth and South 14th streets, the new investments by McAdams and others could help turn things around.
“It’s a slow process,” said Nancy Bush, executive director of the Historic West Mitchell Street Business Improvement District. “But we are seeing progress.”
District sees a transformation
The business district for most of the 20th century was vibrant.
It featured such department stores as Sears, Schuster’s and Goldmann’s, as well as other anchors that included Kunzelman-Esser Furniture and the Modjeska Theatre.
“Eventually, Mitchell Street became known as the ‘Polish Grand Avenue’ and ranked second in commercial importance only to downtown, a position it maintained until well after World War II,” according to a city Historic Preservation Commission report.
But as the surrounding residential neighborhood saw a decline in wealth, several Mitchell Street stores began closing in the 1970s.
An attempt to revive the area by building a pedestrian mall in 1975 failed — leading city officials in the early ’90s to reopen the street to traffic.
Meanwhile, an influx of new families into the neighborhood changed the ethnic makeup to include a large Latino community.
That’s led to increased attendance at St. Anthony Church, with its voucher school also benefiting. Meanwhile, the return of the Latin Mass has helped revive St. Stanislaus Church.
The neighborhood saw a handful of development projects between roughly 2001 and 2006.
Those involved housing, including the conversion of the Schuster’s (later known as Gimbels) and KunzelmanEsser buildings into affordable apartments.
Influx of art projects welcomed
More recently, a former office building was converted into a Milwaukee
Public Library branch and apartments, while the former Goldmann’s was renovated into the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Inc.
But stores have continued to close, including Payless ShoeSource in 2019, as well as the upcoming shutdown for Holzman Furs.
Meanwhile, some business operators are concerned that a day labor business coming to the neighborhood this spring could hurt future development prospects.
So, the recent burst of arts-related investments is a welcome trend.
It started with Real Tinsel, which McAdams and his business partner, Keith Nelson, opened in 2018.
The two artists did much of their own work renovating the building, once the longtime home of Heim’s Bridal, into a gallery and studios.
Usable Space LLC, led by McAdams, bought the 4,200-square-foot building for $153,500, according to city assessment records.
In June, artist Jeff Redmon and his wife, Dana, who manages commercial properties, opened Scout gallery and artist studios at 1104 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Scout is leasing the 5,200-squarefoot building, which is owned by developer Ryan Pattee.
Pattee bought the former sports clothing store for $10,000 from the city, which had acquired it through property tax foreclosure, and spent around $150,000 on its renovations.
Meanwhile, artist Jonathan Ellis in December opened Gallery 1029 in space he leases at 1029 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Now, McAdams is making his second investment on the street.
Shane McAdams Studio LLC bought the three-story, 9,100-square-foot building, at 723-725 W. Historic Mitchell St., for $260,000 in August, according to assessment records.
Its street level has one tenant: Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee.
The rest of the property, which is actually two adjoined buildings, is largely vacant.
McAdams plans to develop one to two apartments on the third floor, with artist studios and makers space on the second floor.
He also wants to have a coffee shop in the street-level vacancy. That’s something the neighborhood lacks.
That 3,000-square-foot space also could double as a venue for performance art —perhaps including a modern take on vaudeville.
“We’re going to do some really funky things,” he said.
This project will take more work — and money — than the do-it-yourself development that created Real Tinsel, McAdams said.
Its financing could include a bank loan.
McAdams plans to seek city grants to help renovate the facade. There’s also cash flow from rent paid by Hunger Task Force.
But much of the financing will be money saved by McAdams and his wife, Heidi Wirth, who is director of development and membership at Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend.
Their willingness to invest is encouraged by the success of Real Tinsel, which has leased out all six of its studios.
Street is affordable, maintains historic feel
Historic Mitchell Street is a good fit for arts-related businesses, McAdams said.
“It has a lot of character. It has a lot of energy,” he said.
Another selling point: the street’s historic buildings, many dating to the late 19th century, that have avoided gentrification.
“Artists have always been kind of canaries in coal mines,” McAdams said. “They don’t want to be in something that looks too refined.”
Also, the street’s space is affordable, said Bush, of the business improvement district.
The neighborhood has seen other arts-related activity.
That includes live-work studio lofts developed several years ago at 1003 W. Historic Mitchell St. by artist Demitra Copoulos.
Also, Historic Mitchell Street in recent years has hosted arts events, including Temporary (RE)Surfacing in May 2019. That featured artists who projected their works on to building surfaces, Copoulos said.
“Finally, we’re being discovered for more than retail,” Bush said. “We’re thrilled about it.”
Meanwhile, McAdams will need Historic Preservation Commission approval for his property’s exterior changes because it’s within a historic district.
The commission on Monday granted approval for McAdams to remove the exterior metal panels.
The buildings for around 60 years housed Bilt-Rite Furniture until it moved in 2005 to Greenfield.
Parts of the structure might date back to the 1880s, said Tim Askin, a city historic preservation planner.
Past uses included the Park Theater, which operated on the upper floors until 1953, he said.
Decades before it was covered with metal panels, the facade was converted in 1946 to an Art Moderne style designed by architect George Zagel
It is perhaps the only remaining site that reflects Zagel’s legacy in that style, Askin told commission members.
The restoration planned by McAdams will involve a lot of work, said Sally Peltz, commission chair.
“We’ll be anxious to see what it becomes,” she said.
McAdams told the Journal Sentinel he’s eager to begin work on the project, which will take about a year to complete.
“I feel really good about it,” he said.