Last Monday, I wrote to tell you that this Monday – today, that is – the restored Iron Block Building at Water and Wisconsin would be unveiled.
You can find details of the restoration and the building's history in last week's blog, but I wanted to check back in to let you know how the finished product looks.
After years of seeing the building clothed in stark white paint – and most recently – hidden behind scaffolding – it's nice to see a subtler tone and a copper brown on the storefront and mezzanine levels.
It's also great that restorers didn't attempt to "hide" the cream city brick addition to the south. Instead of painting it to match – as in the past – that structure, best seen from Water Street has been cleaned down to its original brick.
The addition shares the Iron Block's cornice, but at street level, the facade is plainly different, which leads the up to the upper floors where it's equally obvious that the building is executed in an entirely different style.
Also back are many ornamental details that required refabrication and restoration. I love the iron rectangles of squiggly lines – which I remember from my days working in the building – but was surprised to see the lion's heads dangling grapevines from their mouths. If these were on the building before, I admit I'd never noticed them.
Take a walk Downtown soon and check out the restored building, which is a Milwaukee jewel. Plan to spend a little time checking out the details of the ornate facade. Bring binoculars.
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.
