MILWAUKEE — A demolition permit could be approved this month for a proposed 6-story building, featuring 144 apartments along 5th Street in Walker’s Point.
The proposal by Mandel Group Inc. and Catalyst Partners would occupy the block between Bruce and Pierce streets, and require the demolition of several buildings.
“Walker’s Point, especially fifth street here, is a really vibrant area,” said Executive Director of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance Jeremy Ebersole. “I would rather see those buildings preserved and development happen around them.”
That’s not to say they’re against development as a whole.
“The new development should really be respectful of the community character,” he said. “What is lost when buildings like this are demolished, is really a part of the soul of the community.”
A primary concern is the loss of affordable housing.
“It’s a population of real people whose lives are dramatically impacted,” Ebersole said.
Developers told the Milwaukee Business Journal last summer that they would help residents of the existing apartment building to relocate to comparable or better housing.