Unrest could slow redevelopment
North side neighborhood suffers from vandalism
Ongoing efforts to redevelop Milwaukee’s north side neighborhoods may face new challenges after last weekend’s largely peaceful protests were marred by looting and vandalism at around 30 businesses.
“I think it matters,” said Randy Crump, president of Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services LLC, a firm that consults with developers on hiring disadvantaged subcontractors and other businesses.
“History has taught us it will slow down, but not stop, development in the inner city,” said Crump.
The civil unrest occurred on both Friday and Saturday nights after mostly nonviolent demonstrations by thousands of people throughout Milwaukee. Protesters were voicing their opposition to racism in the wake of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd, an African American man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.
Some of the businesses that were damaged or looted are in the Harambee neighborhood. They include a Walgreens at 2826 N. King Drive.
Also affected were businesses in the Sherman Park neighborhood and other areas on Milwaukee’s north side.
Harambee is north of downtown, bordered roughly by Holton Street, I-43, Walnut Street and Olive Street. The neighborhood’s fortunes began declining in the 1960s — due in part to increased poverty and Milwaukee’s longstanding racial segregation.
In recent years, Harambee’s proximity to downtown’s revitalizing west side, including the new Fiserv Forum, has helped it land a series of new developments.
Those include two neighboring affordable apartment developments, totaling 71 units, at the converted former Garfield Avenue Elementary School, 2215 N. Phillips Ave., and the new Griot building, 411 W. North Ave. The Griot also will be the new home for America’s Black Holocaust Museum.
Other developments include Welford Sanders Historic Lofts, 2812 N. 5th St., a former shoe factory converted into 59 apartments and 38,000 square feet of offices.
Bader Philanthropies redeveloped a historic building into its headquarters, at 3300 N. King Drive, and is now renovating a neighboring building, at 3338 N. King Drive, into a wellness center and cafe.
Harambee’s biggest development is Royal Capital Group LLC’s upcoming conversion of the former Schuster’s department store, 2153 N. King Drive, into 131,000 square feet of office space, anchored by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation; 40,000 square feet of community space; and 77 apartments.
Deshea Agee, executive director of the King Drive Business Improvement District, said the weekend’s civil unrest will not hurt Harambee’s long-term development prospects.
The district on Monday organized a neighborhood cleanup that drew dozens of volunteers of all races.
That response shows Milwaukee’s strong support for Harambee and King Drive, Agee said.
He said the business district will “double down” on working with foundations, development firms, city officials and other partners to continue revitalizing the neighborhood.
“We can’t allow our community to be damaged,” Agee said.
Crump, however, said the short-term effects could include a hesitation by some to invest in Harambee.
One major development proposal, for a new King Drive library branch and around 90 apartments, had faced delays in obtaining financing before last weekend’s events.
Executives from project developers General Capital Group LLP and Young Development Group LLC declined to comment on whether the civil unrest might affect their plans.
The developers earlier said they planned to resubmit their proposal for federal affordable housing tax credits in 2021 after failing to obtain tax credits in this year’s competition.
Meanwhile, Crump said, Harambee still has assets — including being close to downtown, service from mass transit, a large number of people eager to work, and inexpensive properties for sale.
Investment opportunities “will come for people who are not afraid of black people, and the inner city,” said Crump, whose business is based in the neighborhood, at 2745 N. King Drive.
His son, Lafayette, a Prism executive, was recently nominated as city development commissioner by Mayor Tom Barrett.
Ald. Milele Coggs, whose district includes Harambee, said the neighborhood will continue to redevelop.
“For the past 12 years a group of young African-Americans have worked collaboratively to help rebuild King Drive from the deterioration that still existed from the riots of 1968,” Cogg said, in a Facebook post.
“So it was heartbreaking to see the damage done and to think of the challenges that lay ahead as we restore, rebuild & continue to revitalize,” she said.
“To be clear, I will always put the value of human life above that of property, buildings & products as we all should. I also can not help but believe that in our fight for justice we have to be strategic enough to engage the tools that will lead us to victory & not bury us in defeat. Together we will build a better Milwaukee,” Coggs said.
Meanwhile, the Sherman Park neighborhood saw some businesses vandalized.
But that won’t hurt redevelopment efforts throughout the north side, said Cheryl Blue, executive director of 30th Street Industrial Corridor Corp.
“I am hoping that this moment will demonstrate even more profoundly the need for a vision and plan for an inclusive and progressive Milwaukee where young people can be a part of building a bright future for us all,” Blue said.
Her nonprofit group’s work includes a housing development underway in the nearby Garden Homes neighborhood.
Other nearby developments include The Community Within The Corridor, a mixed-use project that developer Que El-Amin said continues to proceed at 3212 W. Center St.
Ald. Khalif Rainey, whose district includes Sherman Park, said he’s concerned about challenges minorityowned businesses faced even before the vandalism and looting.
Rainey noted the 2016 civil unrest in Sherman Park, which followed the police shooting of Sylville Smith.
Until the United States truly fulfills the ideals of freedom, equality and justice, Rainey said, it will continue to see civil unrest.
He also cited a hopeful note: the response to George Floyd’s death has galvanized people of all races — which could help bring positive change.
“Everyone is outraged by this,” Rainey said.