Schnetzky and Liebert's four-domed classical revival masterpiece at 135 E. Wells St., is getting a new lease on life.
The Germania Building was constructed in 1896 by Milwaukee newspaper magnate George Brumder and was called, in its day, "the world's largest German newspaper building." Though it still has its copper domes -- dubbed "Kaiser's helmets" during World War I -- the beautiful Germania statue was removed during the war and has since been lost.
Today, a press conference was held in the ornate lobby of this eight-story office building -- listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- to announce that tax credits will allow a plan to convert the building into apartments and street-level retail to move forward.
The $14.1 million project -- a partnership between Endeavour Corp. and the Vangard Group -- will bring upwards of 70 two- and three-bedroom apartments that would be partially financed with, according to The Business Journal's Sean Ryan, $850,000 in tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
The building -- currently in bank foreclosure and only partially occupied -- would also have 14,000 square feet of street level commercial space.
Here's where I'd put the record store...
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
