So I believe we do, yes.

So yes, uh can you please take the roll, Miss Roman Anne Pieper?

She will be coming virtually.

She might be coming soon then.

We'll keep an eye on it.

And um Sally Pelt.

Shh here right now.

Okay.

Nicholas Hans Robinson.

Hi, and that's Hans.

But you can say Nicholas Robinson.

Thank you.

Present.

Um Patricia Keaton.

She said she was on her way.

Okay, so they might be coming soon.

Matt DeRose.

Here.

Robert Bauman.

Here.

Jordan Morales.

Here.

So we have four members.

We have Corinne.

Right.

Okay.

Then we'll call it.

We got Miss Kitten now.

Excellent.

Okay.

All right.

We'll call item 240748 resolution relating to a certificate of appropriateness for mothball status at 266 East Erie Street.

The Catherine Foley Tavern.

For uh Catherine Foley Tavern Restoration LLC.

And then share the full screen.

Okay, I'm not sure if anyone here is from MPA.

Okay.

Carl's here.

So would you mind coming up to just give an update?

Good afternoon, Carl Bonneman, board member of MPA.

And of course, as the owners of the Catherine Foley Tavern.

Just a couple of updates regarding the mothball status.

There was recently graffiti, uh, but as of yesterday it had been uh remediated, and we do have staff going over there past it once a week to confirm that it's still okay and there's no additional graffiti.

Um building is secure, stable, airtight based on all of the all of the work that we had done, and there have been numerous walkthroughs since the April storm.

So obviously that was a concern for everybody, but there were been a lot of walkthroughs on it.

Have not noticed any any issues.

Um and then we are working with uh UWM on uh board up intervention design to hopefully kind of help us to have even less graffiti to have to deal with.

So um I don't know if there's any other questions, but those are the updates I have today to continue the moth law status.

Okay.

Any questions from the commissioners?

What's the time period?

Six months.

Six months we do.

Yeah.

Okay.

Any um updates on fundraising?

Well, we're still we're still we actually have our um our event this week, um, the brick by brick uh over Brown Deer Country Club.

And we also had um been working with uh consultant regarding fundraising to kind of get us up to speed on that.

Obviously, this organization has never done anything to that level, so uh learned a lot and and helping us kind of get to the next steps.

Okay, good.

So lots of progress.

Yeah, yep.

Continued progress.

Definitely.

That's good.

I'll move to approve.

All right, do we have a second?

Second, second.

All in favor?

Hi.

All right, motion carries item 25201 resolution relating to a certificate of appropriateness for a mural on the south wall of 918 North Velar Phillips Avenue in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Historic District slash complex for seeds of health.

Great, thank you.

Um so this was a holdover from last month's HPC um to allow the applicants an opportunity to um to put up a test panel, um, which they did on the back side on the alley side of their uh building.

Um I do have some photographs.

We all went over the mural standards last month and the proposed design.

Um this is the mural cloth that they're proposing, putting the mural on.

Um and they did do a small, as I mentioned, uh test patch.

Um so the labels on the bottom, the first coat of primer uh applied, and then a second coat of primer.

They documented the entire um process, including videos.

Um so uh they they did get us um ample evidence of what they were doing.

Um this is with the three little test strips installed, and then the second photo shows the strips uh with the varnish installed over them.

Uh they left it out for about a week or so and then um and then removed the the panels.

So you can see there's an after-removal photograph.

Um the one on the right, I did go out too um after they were removed.

There was uh you know, maybe less than a dime size section that I could tell, you know, the the paint and primer um did penetrate into the brick, so there was a little bit of brick exposed.

Um but the the mural panel more or less was able to be pulled off pretty easily even after the fact when I was there a couple of days after after that.

Um, you know, if you if you have additional questions, I'm sure the applicants would be happy to to discuss.

They also um submitted memos from Holton Brothers, uh Masonry contractors and from state painting company, uh their painting contractors um and both of those contractors indicated that um the application and removal of the test panels didn't damage the brick surface.

Um so that was um that was provided from their two contractors.

Um so with that in mind um staff recommended approval with the same conditions that were discussed last uh month that they make an effort to find an adhesive that's breathable if at all possible, though uh the method that they used they did have their contractors indicate that that that would be uh a method that wouldn't damage the masonry.

Is the school in this building?

They do, I believe.

Oh the purchase from Jazz Jeffers, I assume.

Yes, yes, very good.

Question is do we still have the same concerns though regarding the I think we were talking about like artist rights over the over the mural when it comes to removal like okay, so go ahead, I'm sure you can speak to that.

Yes, hi.

Um my name's Tia Richardson.

Uh thanks for um having having this and being open to hear um and uh yeah, so I indicated to um seeds of health that I'm willing to give up my artist rights um that would pertain to like them not being able to remove it in the future.

Um from my perspective, you know, when they reached out to me to do this mural, um I felt like it was a huge opportunity to be able to work with the students of both schools and um f to be able to you know give them a chance to um participate hands-on in a physical way, and that's why I opted for the polytav, um, so they could get their hands in it and just have that you know huge um collaboration with you know all the partners that they work with.

Um so um we don't we don't get they don't get that opportunity often and it it helps their self-esteem come up and not only that but the um the adults that were involved and the families like when they go past that and see that the fact that you know they they had a part in that um is it changes how they feel and I think that you know when this you know having that on the wall like I've seen the impact of people just looking at the images um how it impacts people so this this would be a very powerful symbol to be downtown and so when people go come by and look at it, they're gonna feel that sense of um connection to it.

And that's different from like if I were to go and paint it on the wall myself.

Um so I'm willing to, you know, for that effort, um and especially you know the effort that we've put into it, totally willing to give give up, you know, my rights to it, um, because everything has a life, and I think you know, we're in an era where it's about group collective expression and not one individual artist or the strength, the strength of one individual anymore.

Um, and I think we need more of that in our community.

So that would be my um response.

Okay, so can I ask a um two questions?

So what you're saying is that you're going to take the fabric and the kids and you are going to paint on it while it's on the ground.

And then you're gonna stick it up.

Is that what your plan is?

Or I've actually brought um so poly tab is actually interfacing.

Is any anyone familiar with sewing or quilting?

Sure.

So this is interfacing.

I went and picked up some from Michaels, and I wanted to pass it so you could feel that.

Um so that gets primed on both sides.

This is what it's like when it's primed, and this is the test strips that they used on the wall.

And then we actually um did have some painting.

Um so I brought an example of what it's like with the painting on it.

Um, and then the idea would be this this gets adhered to the wall.

Um you can pass that.

That gets that gets adhered to the wall after I've gone and made some touch-ups and work with some students.

So that would be our goal over the next several weeks to and then put it up.

And so the adhesive goes on the blank side.

And that's what you used for this.

Yeah, that's what this is exactly the same thing.

Yes.

Okay.

And where else, Tia, have you done URLs?

All over the city.

So literally over 70 total in the region.

And in Milwaukee alone, 50 to 60.

We're talking I794.

So in the third ward, the Brighton the Passage.

So, you know, that one is also sealed with a breathable varnish, and there was concern there too with the breathability with it being the um interstate.

So also on 47th and Center.

So the Sherman Park Rising Mural.

There was actually roof damage.

So water was getting in behind the brick and pushing the paint out.

So I've been using uh the Nova gel to actually restore that mural um over the last few summers, and it's held up very nicely.

So when we talk about like things like breathability, um, those are things that I take into account um so that the mural can last and have experience with um, you know, working on brick and uh done a lot of brick murals, 14th enforced home on the back of El Ray, um, which is also in in a in a historic neighborhood.

Um I don't know if you guys are familiar with that mural that was done with Milwaukee Christian Center and over um hundreds of community members were involved in that one.

Um so yeah, if you go on my website, like there's so much on there.

Like this is my this is my life's work and passion, and um having people get their hands in it is a is a signature of my work, but it's more than that.

It's it's it's just it's um something that I feel our community needs uh to raise its self-esteem, number one, which we know has a big impact.

We're talking economic impact, lots of impact when we have our young people feeling good about themselves, when the community feels good about itself, and I have seen the impact and success of that through um my other projects in the city.

So Nova gel, is that what you call the adhesion?

That's what I've used in the past.

Okay, yeah.

Okay, and that's what you're planning to use here.

I'm open to a different product.

I looked into one um that I spoke with a tech that that is supposed to be even more breathable.

Um I talked with a tech today, and he described what makes it breathable, and so he described how um technically all acrylic paints are breathable, and like what makes them breathable is as they're drying, the water evaporates and creates little wormholes in the film.

So the water has to have a way to escape, and in that process, if you think of like pearls on a string, yeah, as the water's evaporating, those pearls are creating little wormholes that as the film is drying create pathways for the air to move through, and it's permanent.

So um there, yeah, so there's another product that you know that's made by Golden Um that was recommended to me by the supplier of PolyTab that I use, and um there's a big organization out in Philly called Mural Arts Philadelphia that's known throughout the nation for their community murals on PolyTab, and they actually worked with the paint manufacturer to develop this product for that reason, and so that it went yellow.

Um is that Sherwin Williams or it's called Golden.

They're um they're a professional brand name, um, top of the line paint company uh used by artists, and they they manufacture um the varnish that that I would use and this other gel adhesive.

Well, you're enlightening us, I think.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Oh, I have I have one other key go.

Okay, so I don't know if this is appropriate time, but I was happy to hear when I spoke to them because I was asking about permeability rating, and if we want to get into the technical, um the the gel that I'm looking at um it could it's very comparable to um Sherwin Williams house paint.

So technically the numbers 37 that they're giving me, which is like very high permeability, and I think that's what he was saying.

It's got um the same number rating as Tyvek.

Um, or maybe I'm ahead of myself.

Maybe I'm jumping ahead of you kind of getting into that, but um essentially it's very permeable, it's more permeable than um latex house paint.

gel that I'm looking at um it could it's very comparable to um Sherwin Williams house paint so technically the numbers 37 that they're giving me which is like very high permeability and I think that's what he was saying it's got um the same number rating as Tyvek um or maybe I'm ahead of myself maybe I'm jumping ahead of you um kind of getting into that but um essentially it's very permeable it's more permeable than um latex house paint okay I just had one thought um I know a lot of times when we're obviously trying to interface modern things with you know surfaces and historic context and things like that um there's a few things that um you know may take precedent over other things um I think on this one I'm very much sort of supportive you know figuring out how we can keep the mission of what you're talking about um intact as far as allowing the young people to really create something and then to see it installed so two things um I actually my very first job was with artworks for Milwaukee and um I was uh commissioned to paint trash receptacles for the farmers market on 20th and Mitch it was about four students we made five dollars and fifteen cents an hour after school and it was such a transformational experience like literally it was kind of funny because I was just showing my son some of those sketches of fruit and birds and stuff like that last night um in my portfolio because he wanted to create some so I was just showing him some of the things I'd done and I had to go back to that very first instance on being a sophomore at Bradley Tech we learned about architecture and stuff but it was being able to really create something that you could see within the environment and have a real constraint um so I think that's very very important for all of us to consider as we you know go into this as far as figuring out how we can make it work um because I would say the value ad here is definitely having that mission carry through to where I mean it's more than just confidence.

I mean I built my entire company as an architect off of the concept between taking an idea and bringing it to life and I think that's the beauty of any process and we've worked with everyone from third graders all the way up through to adults because ultimately that is something that teaches us how to you know interface with our environment that you know actualize ourselves you know self-actualization is one of the highest forms of being right so I think this is really important and you know any efforts and to appreciate the efforts that you've obviously gone through to kind of figure this out on a technological level um so definitely full support of um kind of your mission thank you um what method did you use to remove the panels we used uh a Gugon product so citrus based um it comes it it applies very much like wallpaper and it removes very much like wallpaper so you apply that first layer and let it sit and you can pull the first layer off and then you apply it again and you can get to that bottom layer uh right after that.

So you didn't have to use any pressure washing or anything like that?

None at all.

Nice no we did use water but on sponge and but no pressure washing the the mason uh letter says as long as the facade is properly prepped like power washing and cracks filled ahead of time are you having cracks filled ahead of time so the building was tuck pointed and primed and painted in 22 perfect so most likely they will get up there and prime it again.

Okay.

Yeah it's already prepared um and tuck pointed and filled okay any other questions yeah chair if I could do are there any examples for in the Milwaukee area where you took this off of a building well currently no you did you had one mural and you said it was on I forgot where it was located.

Yeah so um not to my knowledge um for background and context um in the industry as you can imagine you know like with a lot of professionals when when I do a mural I'm looking for longevity and um so this product was developed so that mural artists could um one have a way to paint off site like in bad weather and then apply it but two it actually helps the mural be stronger and last more because you don't have a lot of the chipping um it avoids a lot of the stuff that happens with directly painting on the wall um it actually helps uh because it's it's a it's a little bit stretchable so if it were gonna go on like a concrete retaining wall where the wall is kind of separating or there's some cracks or drips it it actually is reinforcing um so if you can imagine this kind of um the way I think of it because it's so thin it's almost like a um reinforcement uh material in between the paint layers so it's not does it's not design where like when mural artists are putting murals up where they're not thinking about can I take it off it can be taken off but um it doesn't go up with that intent because we street art is different speaking for myself looking at the time and investment that we put into it um I want the work to last and it's gonna be something to remind the community over time um as a testament kind of like a monument but it's more of a lasting symbol so um to my knowledge I don't know of any mural that I don't know of any mural with like significant community weight like that that has been removed for for that reason only you know not

Speaking for myself, looking at the time and investment that we put into it, um I want the work to last, and it's gonna be something to remind the community over time as a testament, kind of like a monument, but it's more of a lasting symbol.

So um to my knowledge, I don't know of any mural that I don't know of any mural with like significant community weight like that that has been removed for for that reason, only you know, not for technical reason.

But um, I just don't go in, you know, like I just don't go in thinking um when can this be taken off.

But again, I believe everything has a life, and um I think the effort I think the life is in the effort we put into it, and that's gonna stand no matter what happens.

Um, and it we know we've already had um a lot of you know, we've already had our community painting days.

Um so we've had you know over 600 folks help to paint this.

We've had our and student engagement, and that's been documented, um, not for seeing that this would happen, but you know, I have had have that video or you know, intend to show people the value of this, and um so um if you support this, you'll be supporting that effort.

And I think the life is in the effort of that work coming together, um, even stronger than like what ends up going on the wall.

But that wall, that image on the wall is gonna um reinforce the effort, but this is what gives that life.

Who owns that wall?

We do.

The high school.

Seeds of hell, I think.

Uh, what happens if the high school moves out in five years because someone came in and they've got a tremendous offering gonna make a lot of money and they're gonna convert it into condos.

Who's responsible then for that?

And if they don't want that up there, for instance, they have a new more interesting mural they want to put up, or they just don't want a mural at all, and they're putting some balconies on that wall or whatever.

What happens in cases like that?

That's not that unusual.

We've had that in the th third ward with AI.

You remember that logo of AI underneath where Karen Bowl is on the dye building.

Uh, and and they moved out, they were gone, and that was up there advertising their that school.

Yeah, yeah.

So the question to you is taking us beyond just kind of this initial excitement about the thing.

Yeah, what happens in three or four or five or seven years?

Who owns that and who has the say, and then if it does start to deteriorate, you know, and and repair is needed or patching or something like that.

Is the new owner gonna be responsible for patching it?

We don't want something up there falling apart.

So I'm Jody Weber, I'm the CEO of Said to Health.

For those of you not familiar with Seeds of Health, we've been running schools for just about 40 years.

That's our mission.

That's who we are.

We purchased several buildings um in the city, we own Baritas High School on 30th in Oklahoma.

We own Seeds Health Elementary on 32nd in Greenfield, we purchased this building.

I can tell you we're gonna answer another end, um, Mr.

Drose, but I can tell you the strong intent.

Our intent is not to sell that building.

We've invested millions of dollars into it.

It's there to serve its purpose to educate students in the city of Milwaukee.

That's our passion, and we're not interested in selling it off for condos.

That's that's not what our dot profit is about.

I understand your question, and it's a good question.

I'll speak to the heart and say that we've um established some amazing programs.

We serve 1500 students, that's the MATC 3 plus 1 school, it's there on purpose.

We looked six years to purchase that building.

Bob Alderman, Bob Um Bauman's familiar with us and and who we are.

Um so we're big fans of the city of Milwaukee.

I met TIA, and I believe in this project.

Um we met, I'm all about kids and um endeavors of kids.

I'm not answering your question.

I'm gonna f them too, but I can tell you what we put into that building is um exciting and it's beautiful, and we have no intent to sell it.

But I I might need Bob.

I d I I can't answer that question about the the ownership question.

I I mean I think that's that is a valid question.

Maybe I can't.

No, he's asking about oh, T question.

And you need to identify yourself for the record.

Oh, but so um sorry.

Bob Morris, um, Epstein UN Architects, we've been seeds of health architect through the renovation projects, and we're here just for technical expertise.

Um so maybe I can answer.

Um technically the client is the owner of the mural, so they can do whatever they want with it, and then if they decide to sell, um they can from my perspective, it's easier to just paint over this.

Um I don't have a problem with that.

And um if if we want to talk about removal later and building in a way for that to be removed before they sell, or just a contingency that if they sell and the new owner wants to paint over that, that's fine.

Um I think in other cases where I've done murals, um it's not mine anymore once I'm done.

It's like I'm working for the client, it's theirs, they have the right to um do whatever they want with it when I'm done.

So if that needs to be in writing, I'm like happy to provide that and like work with them on a way for if like a contingency, if they were to sell or whatever, you know.

I think that's fully addressable.

Uh question for the council, just ourselves.

What is it that we regulate and what are we trying to accomplish at this point?

I think it's not a matter of whether it's a right or wrong or who has authority on this, but our buildings deteriorate.

Third ward here and so forth.

Stuff needs to be repaired, stuff needs to be kept up.

And in some cases, it's clear by the other cases, they just sort of let sandstone deteriorate at parapets and this kind of thing.

So there is kind of a little sense of a a bit of an obligation about what is the future of this thing.

Even if it for instance, you don't sell it, it deteriorates.

Half of it is kind of coming off, it's looking dingy, it's not like is what happens at that point, I guess is my question.

I think it's an unanswerable question, quite frankly, but I bring it up just because we're dealing with this in the city and in the third ward more and more now with with murals on side of buildings and so forth.

Not necessarily a bad thing.

I just think we we kind of have to be careful as we move forward, not to even protect ourselves, you know, as a as a commission or the review board in the third ward, but just to be good stewards and be thoughtful.

And and in some ways, legal minded, you're a lawyer, Bob.

I mean, I would think just one last thing.

I would think that this agreement too, then would become part of a purchase agreement.

If that would happen, if condo guy comes along and buys it from you, um, then that would have to be somehow an agreement of rights or responsibility to repair, change, take down, leave, paint over, whatever.

So I think that that's probably where that happened.

I just want to for the record call that out of it in the minister.

And that's good.

It and I'm I'm sort of smirking because we survived the Baird Center being built.

We survived the new music venue and the noise for the pilings.

I'm like, we're not going anywhere.

I mean, I do want to say respect your opinion for those of you who might know about our buildings, and um we have a strong reputation in the community for taking excellent care of our properties, in fact, enhancing our properties and neighborhoods where our students are the way that we value our city, we're committed if it was fading or um deteriorating, I had to think of the words.

We would take care of that.

Um we want our buildings, it's important that we have strong, beautiful buildings for the communities.

So right, and the adhesive, those kinds of things aren't compromising the mortar and the stone and the brick and the sills and all the rest of the stuff around that.

And uh also, just by the way, so I can get on the record.

Um ghost signs are are okay.

We we actually like them in a third ward, and we have that app now that you can see, we put your phone up to you can see the thing of what the company was.

So I don't know that there's real sense responsibility.

One's got to keep painting these things every five deterioration of okay.

I'm just a little bit worried.

This is a new product, and that's why I asked is there any building where this is taken off?

It's a slightly different product than what we know as being uh paintings from you know 1910 in the third ward.

So I just want to be careful as we move forward.

Uh I I don't think there's any responsibility to paint it every five years.

I don't think that's the just another just sense of this is a new product on a masonry wall.

You said the perm perm perm perm rate.

You said 37 on the perm rate, that's pretty good perm rate.

It's excellent.

And actually they're saying it's like similar to what they use on to um protect brick, the the clear acrylic.

This product was developed to be more in line with dry and clear like that.

Um, you know, the clear acrylic stuff they put on brick.

Um it's long lasting.

I mean, it's designed to be permanent, literally.

The perm is permanent.

The architect will tell us too the higher the perm rate the better because it's breathing and uh and you don't want to not let a wall breathe.

Okay, so you need to have that.

Um the perm rating was actually 37 metric uh permms, which translates to if I did the calc right, 56 US perm for comparison tie back building wrap is approximately the same perm rating which it's used for its breathability.

Right.

Okay.

How far um ago was the building maintenance as far as I know the tuck point in the set and the brick repair happened in 20 uh you said 22.

So when was the when was the previous time from that?

Um when when was the maintenance last or when was anything done like that uh prior to that's a really good question that I don't have an answer to.

Uh we purchased a building from what I know it had been unoccupied for what I've heard 15 years.

Uh it was in a very poor state.

Um and now it is isn't so and that particular facade um where the mural will be now was actually covered by a later edition of a uh yeah it was like it's like a metal screen wall that that covered that originally before um the restoration occurred, so that all those windows and that entire facade were covered by a screw.

It had been previously painted and then covered by that screen wall.

So the screen wall is now down, the uh painting uh the painted brick facade um was restored and repainted um at that time, but the history of that is a little obscure because of the the sort of layers of other stuff that were on that wall, I guess you could say.

It was more of a decorative screen, I guess, than anything.

When it was when the metal was over it.

There there is a I think most of it would have been blocked, but but I don't think it was a hundred percent waterproof.

Yeah.

Between the screen and the wall, there was room to get down there and scale and yeah.

So yeah.

But I'd like to.

Okay, I was just asking.

Sorry, we're saying.

You know, fine.

No, I got to.

And the only reason I was asking was kind of more so to match questions as far as okay, what if this needs to be, you know, touched again, right?

Well, if it's it could be inferred that as much time as which it deteriorated in the past is will maybe, you know, maybe that's how much time we have moved forward, right?

So this is me going if that's 15, 20 plus years, then I would argue that I don't know, that's not something that we necessarily need to worry about within you know the near future um because it shouldn't need you know any additional maintenance based off of previous history.

And of course there were attachments of that metal panel to that wall.

So there were holes from the checkup board at one point, so I assume they came back with proper mortars and so forth, and then painted over because when I look at it, it's all painted you can't kind of tell.

Right.

You guys remember at all when the metal panel was taken off?

Yeah.

And did it's it whatever.

It seemed like whole.

FD and UN did has done the whole project.

It was and filled that all in.

Um that project was actually reviewed by our a remote temp Jacqueline, but I was lightly involved.

Okay.

But yeah, absolutely new and supervised the whole thing, it's fine.

Sure.

Um I've got a couple more questions.

Is this I I know uh ma'am, you'd said like a bunch of students would be involved in the paint.

Is this the this is the design that we're gonna get, right?

That's it.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah, I would I would call that a cartoon.

Yeah.

Meaning, um, like if you've seen my other murals, they look much more detailed and better than what the sketches I provide are.

So it's actually gonna be more detailed than this.

Um like if you look at the faces in there and just some of the outlining, it's very cartoony.

Um, even the colors aren't the the colors are more what I would call gearish the way they came out, the way the phone takes the photos.

Um there's they're more contrasty and like not what um I would want the final mural to look like.

So that's for proof of concept only.

But yeah, essentially, yeah, that's the design.

Uh and Mr.

Chair, we really aren't supposed to get into the details of the artwork.

Really?

Okay.

That's because one area we're supposed to avoid.

Sure.

Um, that was just out of curiosity.

But um, and then secondly, I guess this is more a question for staff, but uh what is precedent with murals on historic buildings for this commission?

Um very, very limited so far.

Yeah.

Um I think I think everything we have approved so far has been on hard panels.

Um if this had been on hard panels, we probably would not have brought it to you.

Um but the because this is all only here because it's a new product that you haven't approved before.

If you go to the public market and sit down on South Face, you can see that mural on the alley for the collective.

It's a decorative artistic thing, and they wanted to put it right on the wall.

We had them just do it as a panel.

So that's what you see on the buildings from the ward panel removable panels and stuff.

The most recent one was not brought to the commission.

It was the Mitchell Street Library on their side wall and kind of the pedestrian paths.

Um we didn't feel there is uh they agreed to do it on panels, it's city property.

We just thought was fine.

I think I think this is approvable.

So I'd move to approve.

Okay.

Second that second second from that.

All right, then uh we have a motion and a second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

Thank you very much.

You'll be excited when you see it.

You can come to our grand opening.

When are you doing it?

Some summer, and then it will like the grand October.

We have to get school open so October.

Yeah, you can't do it.

Wherever it's come in the summer indeed.

Yeah, yeah.

They're working.

It's uh well, painting kind of happened, but the it'll be instead style plan is to put it up in the summer.

Okay.

Yeah, we're like, yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

All right.

We're really excited.

Thank you so much.

All right, thank you all.

All right, moving on, item 252152.

Resolution relating to a certificate of appropriateness for addition of a hood over a side door at 1060 East Juneau Avenue in the first ward, Triangle Historic District for GMC, MCR Miller House, LLC.

That's unusual.

That's what kind of concerns me here, too.

What?

I just called the next item.

The last item.

Okay.

Um so this is uh another one uh you're not sharing the right section.

Okay.

Well, that probably slide back to go to meeting.

Share.

Oh oops.

Sharing the just the full screen from PowerPoint.

And then make coaching meeting go away.

Uh this is sort of a holdover from last month or part two, I guess, of this project.

Last month um the George Miller house, George P.

Miller house, you HPC approved uh removal of the 1960s non-historic garage edition, and uh and a new door where there was uh a door opening there so they're proposing uh a door hood um which takes um elements of the existing house, um Queen Anne and Romanesque elements, um namely the brackets and the pediment.

Um I have a copper face, copper roof, um wood brackets that mirror um the window.

Um so they're proposing this uh the new new doorhood to protect the entrance um of the of the new entrance where the garage is where it'll be removed.

Um staff thinks they did a great job um matching taking elements of the existing building, um has no issues with it.

Staff recommends approval um as presented.

Okay.

All right, we have someone here representing the applicant.

Yeah, I'm Gina Midnack, president of the company that owns the property.

So I'm not sure if you had any questions, but anything's in question who does own the property.

Um so there's a trust that's a family trust with the Chesters and the Reeds.

Okay.

So Ross Reed, George Tester.

And then you said there's a company that the trust is.

Well, it's an LLC.

It's a it's a so the jor um it's a GMC Miller House LLC owns 50%, and then the MCR Miller House owns 50%.

So the GMC part is the Chesters and the MCR part is the Reeds.

Okay.

And and what what's going on there presently?

I mean, what what what it looks great?

I I have no complaints.

It's a beautiful place, it's a magnificent building.

I'm just wondering what what exactly is going on there because it looks in pristine condition.

It's amazing.

We should give you a tour inside, but it's it's basically.

I can probably make that happen.

So there's all kinds of there's Tiffany windows, there's Tiffany lamps, there's paintings, um, I believe there's like swords from you know, there's pictures of uh just really historic items.

It's it's beautiful.

Yeah, I was told it was basically left when the last resident relative died.

It's like frozen in time.

It is with linens and tablecloths and flatware and the ballroom, yes.

Yes, is it ever used?

Um so the Milwaukee Junior League I went in there for a while, too.

They've been in there for a while, so that's their headquarters still to this day to this day.

Yep, they're still in there, yep.

And um, they have their meetings there.

We have we have meetings in there for them.

And there's a caretaker that lives in the attic.

I've never seen that, but yeah, he's he's way up on the top.

Yeah.

Yep.

So yeah, I probably can definitely Mary Reed gives an amazing tour with all the history.

She's a big historian.

She loves the building.

So maybe I can arrange that through Tim.

Yep.

Or Andrew.

Okay.

That'd be great.

Yeah, we can definitely, I'll leave my email with you guys.

Thank you.

Um we definitely can give you a two.

Can I ask you?

And you represent the LLC.

I do.

And this is what a law firm or a real estate.

It's just uh we just formed an LLC because it it used to be owned by four siblings, and then they passed away and it went to their kids.

And two of the family members, there was four of them sold out to the existing owners.

And so they owned it and it was just easier to own in two different LLCs.

And you are paid to represent the building.

And I do I I'm president of their family office, so I do everything.

I see I do trust taxes estate planning.

That explains it.

Yeah.

Uh-huh.

Very good.

Thank you.

What's the long-term plan there?

Is it to just keep things in suspended animation forever?

Or I'm just curious what the if there is a plan.

Uh boy, I hope I don't get in trouble for this.

But we actually just formed um a 501c3.

They're donating it along with a bunch of cash to make it forever.

No kidding.

Yeah.

It's gonna be a a charity.

We're gonna open it up for the junior league indefinitely, and um they're just gonna keep the property resort restored as somewhat of a museum.

But now the cat's out of the bag, and Ross is probably gonna kill me, so and I'm probably being recorded.

You are cable TV.

But I think that's why we're doing this because we wanted to get the the garage off, get it back to its original house, and then get the overhang on.

I think Michael Hash was your the attorney for the trust, correct?

He was, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

For many years.

Amazing, yeah.

Because George Chester worked at Foley and Lardner.

He did, yes.

I remember him, yes.

Yep.

And they've fully helped us get the 501c3 organized, and we're just in the process of um getting some valuations so we can donate it, and then it will be forever.

And the family were the owners of Chapman Department store, is that correct?

They were, yep.

And that's on the Miller side.

That is that's the Chester side?

Okay.

I and so I'm so glad that I asked you the question because I mean this is really a role model for um you'll donate it to the city?

Well, no, it's going it's going to not for profit into a not-for-profit, yeah.

So that it will be restored, the historic will be restored.

Yeah.

It'll be open at some point.

Um although maybe you're just still in the process of the state.

We're still in the process, it's so new.

That's why I you kind of put me on the spot.

So no, however you develop this, it sounds terrific.

Yeah, we've been working on the whole corner.

We restored the lion house, the blood good, the holly.

Yeah.

And the microwave.

Yeah, we did that.

So we did the lion house, the blood good holly, the shoals building.

We just um we just purchased where the the other owners of we call it the pelts in the Chester House, but it's 1119 and 1115 Knapp Street.

Yes.

So we just repainted all of those.

So I am trying to make that corner amazing.

So we had we had an applicant in here on one of those that did a botched up job on the city.

Oh my god, he was gonna turn it into a coffee shop with no parking, no driveway.

You call you bought him out or I did.

Oh and they recently reinstalled the windows with the stained glass panels on the top.

Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, this is a rarity.

Because that's a magnificent corner.

That block is incredibly intact.

Yeah.

Yeah, and we're in the process.

We kind of inherited the um on the eleven fifteen, we inherited the tenants.

So as they're moving out, we had one move out, so we restored the studio, so we're trying to make the properties nice again.

And ironically, and I'm probably gonna get myself in trouble again, but ironically, Ross and George's grandparents used to live in the 1115 Knapp Street.

So that was the house that their grandparents grew up in.

So we were really glad we had it, the paint restored, it was falling apart, the brick was falling, or the the stone and the bricks were falling apart.

Those two on nap are human scale.

I mean, those those are normal size houses.

You could actually live in those.

Yeah.

The rest of them not so much, but the ones that the two on nap are definitely normal human scale houses.

I think once you get this all done next year, cream of the criminal city award.

Yeah, exactly, Patty.

You talk to these guys.

Yep.

Okay.

You have to I'm gonna leave my email and my phone number.

You acquired the shoals property too, the the sewing machine guy that we did, yes.

The one right next to the 1060.

Yep, and we that was what was that?

Um two years, I think we it was in horrible shape.

We gutted that, we remodeled it in.

So after they were complaining about the Nick restaurant blowing smoke out the out their vent.

Oh no, that's us.

Oh, that wasn't it.

So and we just we just settled with okay.

So here to make us even better people, we're paying for their entire vent.

We're paying to put it up so that because what was happening is our tenants were getting grease in their windows, and the whole apartment smelt like grease.

They didn't have a vent at all.

The grease was just like falling out of the wall.

But they didn't want to pay for it, so we're gonna pay for it.

Just so everybody's happy.

And unbelievable.

So there we go.

So make sure leave your name and number.

Okay.

So it's good to know what what's going on.

Yeah behind the scenes.

So thanks for telling us.

If you get in trouble, you just tell them to come to talk to us.

Yeah.

It's called good trouble.

Okay, that's good.

All right, we've got a motion uh for approval.

Do we have a second?

Okay.

All in favor?

All right.

Motion carries.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, I didn't know I throw it.

We've been using Corey Didier.

He's total home.

He's been he restored all of them.

He's a huge historian too.

So he has like he's taken pieces of wood off and refinished them, restored them.

He's done an amazing job.

You guys should come look at you know look at what we've done.

I'm giving you guys my name, phone number, and email.

We'll make that happen.

Thank you.

All right.

Yeah, absolutely.

And it's white.

All right, we'll call items four through seven together as uh staff approve certificates of appropriateness.

Uh do we have a motion to approve some of the second?

All in favor?

Aye.

All right, motion carries.

Next we go to the question.

I see there's a COA for a doorknob uh camera.

I mean, is that is that subject to they applied for the COA, which we'd rather have people do than not apply for for items like that.

So we issued the COA for ring camera.

I knew that actually.

I asked about it.

I have asked about it in the past, yeah.

If had had they said it was a door bell camper, we might not have encouraged them to apply, but it was just they just vaguely said security cameras in general, so we do approve security camera installations.

Yes.

On exteriors, yes.

They can get they can get pretty ugly if you're not careful.

Yeah, that's absolutely okay, okay.

Okay, all right.

Uh next, uh we will review review and approval of the minutes from the last meeting on April 13th, 2026.

Assuming we've all had a chance to review those.

Move to approve.

All right, second, second.

All in favor?

All right.

All right.

Item 25211 resolution relating to the certified local government review of the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, the Domes.

524 South Leighton Boulevard in the 8th Aldermanic District.

Okay, we're gonna do something a little unusual here today.

Um our intern has done this presentation and pre-recorded it.

She uh she has a class during this time.

So uh here we go.

I have a quick quick question, if you could dilute my ignorance.

This project was unless of the um endangered buildings in the country at one time.

Why and that was wasn't that by the park service?

And why does it keep county?

Uh-huh.

No, no, it was national.

Oh different group.

Got it.

Now I know.

Thank you.

Just curious.

But why is this coming as after the minutes?

Because it's new business.

Review certified local governments towards the end after the minutes.

I I thought okay.

Oh.

Or we have in the past.

Technical difficulties.

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Reboot.

Well technically annoying technicality here.

Oh, John?

Yeah.

No, he was a younger man, and so was I.

No.

Oh.

Do I turn off Mike?

Just to smith.

Bear it.

And here we go.

All right.

Let's hear it.

Hi.

This is Dingrupa Shopra, a graduate intern from HPC.

The project I'm presenting today is the Mitchell Park Domes, historically known as the Mitchell Park Horticulture Conservatory, located at 524 South Leyden Boulevard, Milwaukee.

This presentation is in support of its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

HPC supports the claim that the Mitchell Park Domes are significant at the state level under criteria C in the areas of architecture and engineering as a unique architectural form.

In addition to its state level significance in the area of architecture and engineering, the domes are also significant at the national level under criteria C in the area of engineering, as the work of Master Engineer Charles Whitney.

The Mitchell Park Dome is located at the northwest corner of Mitchell Park, a 60-acre park on Milwaukee's near South Side.

Mitchell Park is one of the five original public parks established in 1918 by the Milwaukee Board of Park Commissioners.

Although the domes are visually tied to the park, it is a distinct and separate entity from the park itself and currently co-managed by Milwaukee County Parks and Miwaki Domes Alliance.

This facility includes a show dome marked with A, Tropical Dome B, Desert Dome C, and a transition house.

Among the two non-contributing editions, one is the education center edition built in 2000, and the greenhouse primary and the greenhouse edition built in 2013 to 2014, connected to the primary building marked in the blue, and the other one is the Flex House Greenhouse marked in yellow, erected in 2013 to 2014, along with the greenhouse edition.

But it's a separate freestanding structure on site.

The domes were originally commissioned in 1954 to replace an earlier conservatory on the site, which dated back to 1898.

Formal planning for the new horticulture conservatory began in 1957.

Out of 30 submitted proposals, the Park Commission shortlisted three forms.

Architect Donald Cribb ultimately owned the commission and went on to design not just a building but an entirely new architectural form, working in close collaboration with engineer Charles Whitney.

Charles Smith Whitney played a key role in the project's structural innovation, contributing to the analysis and the analysis and reinforced concrete design of the conoidal domes.

In 1965, Donald Greeb was awarded a patent for the dome construction design, underscoring its original and limiting its replication elsewhere.

In 1951, architect innovator, philosopher, and engineer Buckminster Fuller filed a patent application for his geodesic dome, a concept that had become the primary focus of his career since his first experiments with EAT in 1947.

Architect Donald Gribb was inspired by the geodesic dome.

However, Gribb also worried that the relatively flat apex of geodesic domes would not properly drain snow, causing structural and light problems.

Practical concerns mixed with Gribb's strong independent strike led him to develop the conoidal or cone-shaped dome.

As a result, it achieved the height of 87 feet at the apex, 17 feet higher than a geodesic dome of comparable circumference.

The Mitchell Park domes present a significant method of construction that resulted in an architectural and engineering icon.

Gribes fully integrated dome construction system incorporates drainage, structure, glazing, stiffening, and access for repairs and maintenance.

Gribb's conoidal domes borrowed Fuller's geometric system but utilized varying shapes to elongate the domes as they extended upward.

The top of each dome is capped with an independently structured dome that Grib called the Apex.

Grib retained the farm of Amman and Whitney as consulting engineers collaborating with engineer Charles Whitney on the development of the structural frame.

For the web-like structural framework for domes, reinforced concrete was selected as the material.

Whitney was best known for ultimate strength design and plastic theory for reinforced concrete design.

The Milwaukee Dome was a capstone project of Whitney's career, clearly demonstrating his ability to understand and mathematically represent the structural behavior of new and complex architectural forms.

This slide shows a few photos of the project interior photographs.

And here are the images from inside the dome where we can see the structural frame.

The style of the domes is heavily influenced by the structural system of the domes themselves and therefore difficult to classify.

In the Wisconsin Cultural Resource Management Plan, this variety of style of architecture is classified under contemporary.

This large term includes brutalism, new formalism, neo-expressionism, late modernism, and postmodernism.

According to Wisconsin Cultural Resource Management Plan, buildings that are universally distinctive or even with eccentric designs, as well as those designed by notable architects are worthy of documentation.

This being said, the design of the domes was influenced by mid-20th century trends in architecture and engineering, especially new formalism and new expressionism.

New formalism is present at the domes, especially in the entrance pavilion by the classical arcade made with the precast concrete arches, invites the guests.

The design of the entrance plaza and reflecting pools also evokes a classical entrance sequence.

The elongated conoidal arch, which is nearly a catenary carve in profile, and the innovative use of reinforced concrete also evoke new expression neo-expressionist ideals.

Here are some of the projects that can be compared with natural park domes.

First, the clametron.

The Clamitron is a greenhouse at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St.

Louis, enclosed in a geodesic dome, based on the principles of Buckminster Fuller.

The structure is a half-sphare dome, 137 feet in diameter and 68 feet high.

The design and designed with aluminium tube and rods.

St.

Louis architects Murphy and Mackey are the designers, and they own the 1961 Reynolds Award and award for architectural excellence.

The second project is the conservatory of the Greater Des Moines Des Moines Botanical Garden, Iowa is also a geodesic dome that is 80 feet tall and 150 feet wide.

The conservatory was designed by architects associated, later known as Smith Voorhees, Jason Architects, with Ray Huel Hugh, sorry, Ray Hugh as project architect.

The Blowdale Conservatory in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is another dome designed by architect McKinley under Wood, inspired by Bachminster Fuller's iconic Expo 67 dome in Montreal.

This also utilizes varying frame shapes for its triodetic dome.

The result, however, is a dome that is wider and flatter in contrast to the taller conoidal dome.

The fourth one is backminster Fuller's own significant glass clack dome, the U.S.

pavilion for Expo 67 for the world fair in Montreal is also composed of double layered of structural supports connected by a lattice work of struts and post-dates Mitchell Park domes.

The Black River waste water treatment plant in Baltimore can also be compared because of its shape.

It has a more similar egg shape, but is not glazed nor used as a conservatory.

So Mitchell Park Dome remains as the only conoidal domes project used as a conservatory.

In conclusion, the Mitchell Park Domes represent a rare and innovative construction system that unites structure and function into a singular architectural and engineering achievement.

Designed by architect Donald Craebe, they are the only conservatory domes of their kind and can be considered significant at the level, state level under criteria C.

In addition, their association with master engineer Charles Whitney, whose contributions to reinforced concrete and structural analysis are nationally recognized, further establishes their significance at the national level under criteria C in the area of engineering.

Thank you for listening to me patiently.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Very nice.

Alright, do commissioners have any questions that are to be directed to Tim?

Is that correct?

Yes.

Yes.

Tim, the one in St.

Louis that's made from aluminum and glass instead of concrete and steel and glass.

Is that having the same kind of structural problems that we have?

Do you know?

Uh the nomination didn't get into that level of detail.

It was just the way these work, you have to pres compare and contrast with representative buildings and say why yours is more significant.

I didn't get into any problems they might be having.

I'm just curious.

I suspect without the concrete, they aren't having as many problems.

But they also uh the dome.

There's no audio, by the way.

Pardon, Nick?

No audio.

There's no audio.

Oh.

Um.

Did that fix it?

Okay.

Uh Nick, did you hear the presentation?

Yes.

As soon as presentation cut off, though, there was no audio after that.

Okay.

Okay.

Any other questions?

That staff recommends supporting the uh nomination and uh Dil Riber prepared a letter for the chair to sign if you uh believe this uh nomination is worthy of your support.

I'd move to approve it if and open it to more conversation, but I'm I'm all for it.

I think technically we don't do a COA.

We announce our approval over this.

Changes.

We make changes.

All right.

Yes, if you have any comments on the text of the nomination, you're free to uh make them, submit them to me, and I will forward them, but you wouldn't need to have them very much this week.

Okay.

Okay, we're timetable by the way, once the sub official submittal.

Um it's it's imminent.

Although I don't remember the exact date it's going to the state review board, but this was the last meeting that was going to be in advance of it.

So it's sometime later this month.

Do the don'ts people want to say anything?

Okay.

Uh uh Mr.

John Beck in the back has said May 15th.

Okay.

Oh, okay.

So yes, this was the last meeting we could do this at.

Gotcha.

Okay.

And we are required to uh required to uh review these.

Right.

Okay.

We have a motion for approval.

Does anybody have a second?

Second.

Second.

All right.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right.

There's no question.

Yeah, yeah, right.

Yeah, that was an easy one.

Pretty obvious.

Yep.

Okay.

Obviously, yeah.

We don't need to share anything for the awards.

Oh now we move to the review and vote on the cream of the cream city award recipients.

You guys are on current slide, and I'll do multi-ap thing.

What's the date of the award ceremony?

Maybe circular.

Thank you.

I will uh also, while they're looking up the date of this thing, um just inform the commission that for the national uh register.

50 years is is the cutoff, you all know that.

So and this is clearly 67, so when you do the math, we're way beyond it.

But that means that coming up are gonna be early 19th mid-1970s buildings, you know, which are these kind of like sometimes you know poorly constructed but you know mid-century modern type buildings.

Are they worthy of advancing to the national register?

Because you don't think of them as your typical historic solid brick masonry stone building.

So we'll be faced with that a lot here uh because we've hit that 50 year mark for the national registers.

Well, last year we sent two buildings built in the 1980s, I think, uh to the made to the 80s, right?

And then the Central City thing, right?

I mean, it was 70s.

70s, you're right.

That was 70s, so that made it so.

That's right.

Okay.

All right.

All right, great.

So we've got uh our our uh hopefully you all have a ballot in front of you.

But uh our cream the cream city nominees, the award ceremony uh is on the 21st at uh best place.

21st of May.

And how many do we vote for?

We you can well you can vote for whatever you you determined to be worthy of uh winning an award.

And we've got eight applicants this year.

Um so we'll go over go over a little bit about each of these projects.

We need the alt tab over the PowerPoint.

Um Nick, you can just uh complete the PDF of the uh uh ballot and email that over to Tim and I.

Okay.

Was that just on the I got the presentation?

Is that on the HBC email?

Yes.

Okay, yeah.

I got it.

Okay, I'll pull it up.

Thanks.

Um so the first uh the first project is the LGBTQ landmarks program um under the category of preservation advocacy or preservation education.

Um in 2024, the LGBTQ history project launched its LGBTQ landmarks program in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society and the City of Milwaukee, and they've now successfully designated two state historic markers for the Black Knight Uprising and for This Is It.

And they've also um recognize the rainbow crosswalks in Walker's Point through the work with the LGBTQ history project.

All citizens can develop um new knowledge, appreciation, and consideration of the true diversity of Milwaukee history.

Um so this was the uh state historic marker for Black Knight Uprising on Plankinton.

Uh this is the Catherine Foley Tavern.

Um and the rainbow crosswalks in Walker's Point.

And recognizing this is it, the um longest operating gay bar in the state that recently closed down.

So again, they were preservation uh preservation advocacy and preservation education under those categories is what they applied for.

Uh the second project is uh the Sunshine Management and Realty uh for the Theo Weary duplexes on the corner of 29th and state under the category of uh residential property, one to four family.

Um Sunshine Management um uh owns a number of properties they advocate for a unique opportunity to invest in Milwaukee real estate.

Um these two um duplexes on the corner of 29th and state were fire damaged, long vacant, in disrepair.

Um they've been fully rehabilitated and now have four newly renovated units.

Um the property um is described by the nominee as uniquely historic and grand rental home.

Um I did go in um for one of the Concordia homes tours a couple years ago, and uh they were still in progress, but they were looking uh pretty pretty amazing then.

Um you can see some of the before photographs here, state of the buildings, and this is the after.

All those people think you would have presented my workshops.

They're after photograph boards.

Yes, I would say they are things on the expensive side.

So no exterior photos.

No, but they did uh some exterior repair, they kept the siding on.

They did come to HPC for um for approval for the rest of our exterior restoration project, but Zillow's got a picture of it on there.

Okay, they came to my workshops to present their stuff to the stores.

So they are under the one to four residential property, one to four family.

Um the third project uh that we have is the Edison School of Apartments at 5372 North 37th Street.

Um the historic name, the uh North Milwaukee High School and Edison Middle School.

Um they've applied under the categories of commercial or large multi-family property.

That's nice or back from the Branco Board.

Um they were originally constructed in 1924 as North Milwaukee High School and later converted into Edison Middle School.

Uh the long vacant campus has been restored and reimagined to deliver 63 high quality affordable homes for seniors and 12 new build townhouses for families.

Um and the project claims to preserve the site's architectural integrity and honoring its historic legacy.

Who were the uh developers for Edison?

Do you happen to know?

What was that?

Um we were we reviewed it, it would be in our files, but I don't I think it was Gorman.

I think Gorman sounds right.

In other words, will you be recognizing the like Gorm if it is Gorman and the building itself?

The Gorman will be the one that will be awarded.

Uh I mean the applicants apply on behalf of an of a nominee.

Um so I would need to check who who who nominated.

Is that what you're saying?

You you're not sure who nominated Edison.

It's in it's in the spreadsheet on the on the file.

I see.

I see and they you and it's usually it and it's usually uh the the developer or the person who owns a property that self that sends the information in the case.

Most typically, yeah.

Yeah.

Not necessarily, but most typically.

Okay.

So we have some uh before uh images and then after remodeling.

So no exterior pictures again.

I mean no you know we should do something with our application because this is not very informative, you know, what we ask about the the interior isn't look that great to be honest with you.

I mean that's see that's that's that's I again I mean some for profit nine times out of ten did this.

Yeah.

So I would love to to I mean if we look at either great accolades for them.

I mean they should have great accolades since they're being awarded this.

Anyway, you you sort of get my point.

I think that that it's not just the building and the name of the building, but it's actually who's the brains behind all of this.

That's if we look at the AIA award application, you know, this kind of this is not very good.

And you know, what what they do to earn the award is is extensive with uh a you know a statement of what they performed and photographs of the interiors and the exteriors.

So I don't think that's too much to ask.

I don't they're used to doing it, they know how to do it.

Have we I mean when you boil it all down, it's like four applicants on here.

I know there's a lot of repeats on this list.

But there are uh there's it's it's seven or eight, but most people applied for multiple categories.

There, yeah, there are eight projects, most of them applied first.

Two project two categories.

And the applicants can only one win in one category, so whichever you feel is the most appropriate if you feel that uh either of them are appropriate.

We have uh we have welcomed your additional input and support for many years now.

And have not have not received it.

Right.

Okay, I got your point.

Oh anyways, the point is still the same.

I'll get you the application for the AI.

Oh, what the I know what the outside looks like.

I don't know what the inside looks like.

If anybody should be able to envision it.

I know, but still I you know, I it's pretty far from off district.

Right on the landing and the staircase.

I'll never forget it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm just realizing now we're like saying these are nice apartments.

Yeah.

And do we all are we at the point where we only kind of review those who proactively put in an application?

These are these are the applicants for this year.

Because years ago, I used to think you've seen great things around and sort of and none of you did.

Quite a while ago we did, but yes, we haven't you're right.

We haven't recently.

But you know, it's we we've repeatedly mentioned that uh members are encouraged to submit applications and suggest ideas.

Only Alderman Bauman came up with one this year.

But Tim, just it's just to follow along on that.

Um how many applicants applicants did applications did you get?

Eight.

This is it.

Yeah, this is the one the eighth that applied are the eight that are getting it.

No, no, they're not even getting it.

We're voting on who gets it.

I know no, I'm saying, but eight out of the eight applications.

You vote, we don't know.

No, no, I I but you are presenting them to us.

You obviously have reviewed them.

Of course, we can discuss them, but I'm saying eight people applied.

Yeah, we received eight projects.

And out of those eight?

You get to see all of them.

I see.

And now you need to just to whittle it down to how many?

As many as you deem worthy of winning the award.

I see.

What if we say zero?

Then there will be no need for a banquet.

We'll just we'll just have a party for nobody.

You know, I mean that that's what I'm trying to get at.

There is no um total number.

I mean, I know I know what rules give us rules.

Yeah, I I mean I'm sensing your frustration in terms of your lack of of the aggressive.

Commissioner engagement kind of participation that you would like.

Yeah.

So I'm sorry.

Yeah, I was we never did that.

I mean we can talk how do we advertise it it goes out to about a a hundred emails and this is to um construction people does anybody print it um usually usually urban Milwaukee at least uh will print the press release or do a do a release in the daily reporter or anything like that construction industry reads no I'm not sure if those pick up on the press release it goes to the County Council press office it's whatever they send it out yeah it should go to the daily reporter I would exp I would expect they're smart enough to send it to the daily reporter yeah we'll finish off this list here so we can vote yeah we advertise it to the people we know in the construction industry and people have submitted regularly submit projects or people we think might be good candidates right beyond that it's the council press off uh the council uh PR office very good I think if we talk to the uh alder persons that they would they get the press release they do absolutely they don't think this is worthy of something in their okay so we don't so the end result is that it's not doesn't have prestige enough to bother right basically okay so how do we change that I don't know yeah and that's why I'm saying is is that I think at some point we need to for next year not this year anymore have a really a uh serious conversation what if we did this in conjunction with a group like the County Historical Society or or MPA or but well MPA won't want to turn it into a fundraiser but um you know some something like that where we know they have an amazing mailing list.

Yeah I think not to not to overdo it on the self-flagellation of the commissioners here but uh I think it's on us to take ownership of that if we're passionate about the cream of the city uh cream of the cream city awards uh and push that out to people we know um in the community to do that and um just confession here I've done absolutely nothing with the cream of the cream city awards beyond receive the emails open the emails and expect uh expect to have it presented here and it sounds like I'm not the only one uh who's who's doing that and I think that's why we put I'll put this on an agenda at some point for next year to to comment we did that on the agenda repeatedly repeatedly we've been bringing it up every meeting for months I mean somebody obviously haven't hit a home run yet needs to volunteer to to chair the committee right this could be embarrassing if we have like two people getting awards yeah right correct and the awards are not just told me it was May 21 right which is coming up we locked in the reservoir it's Jim Har supposedly you're locked in uh as I'm seeing well I'll be there whether there's one or if there's an event I'll be there but I don't want the event to be an embarrassment.

Yeah with 20 people in the room I don't know that even I mean this number seems comparable to the number of projects we received last year and the year before I mean obviously that may not be enough very questionable history.

Yeah I mean community in the corridor had a huge scandal chemical we they had a certain place out through a mile they can't be given an award could God could listen anything well that's the commission who doesn't like Jesus I guess are only automatic disqualification disqualifications current DNS orders at the building and uh unpaid taxes which is both of which are standard city policy for any sort of award okay I'm I'm with Bob I don't want to do this if it just seems like uh sad little event here.

I would be willing if we have time because I'm done now with my semester to to look at this for the next couple days directly with you guys to kind of look at worthy recipients is it too late or could something like that still happen.

It is too late you need to vote.

Yeah because we'd have to do a special meeting right we can send this to the rest of the committee if we have a couple that seem worthy that aren't on this list.

That aren't on this list.

I know I'm with Bob.

I'm looking at a couple of these ago.

Really?

It's too late.

We can't know.

All right.

It's too late.

Then do we cancel the event or make it a different kind of event?

Yeah.

Actually, are we on an every year cycle?

We've got two years during COVID.

Okay.

Because years ago, we also somehow when it got weak, we did it every other year.

Years ago, you know, just to build up the possibilities a little bit better.

But I think recently we're doing it every year.

We have been, yeah, uh, as the alderman mentioned, other than COVID derailing a couple years.

So what do you do with these people who are kind enough to send their stuff in?

I mean, do we just have a lot of different things?

Well, that's up to you and your uh that's up to you guys.

How uncomfortable can that be?

It's just that we've now decided not to have an event.

No, they have invested nothing in this.

They filled out a couple of page application and sent in some crummy pictures, basically.

I mean, we know you see the outside of the guy's house.

That house on 29th state looks nice.

That's the best part of it is the exterior.

You send in an interior pictures.

Okay, let's just go through two code.

Can we just go through the slides?

Anyone object to that?

No, not at all.

And is the community within the corridor?

Is that still around?

I thought something happened to it.

Yes, right.

Right here.

Back on the brink.

No, I know that's why I'm asking.

I think okay.

I think.

If you don't think it deserves an award, that's why you get to vote.

We have to present every everyone who submitted it.

Right.

Okay.

Thank you, Tim.

Let's uh let's present everyone who submitted.

That's that's what it is.

Let's press on the case.

Unless the application was so hopelessly deficient.

Which some of you think are these did technically meet all the bare minimums.

Okay.

If you think some are bet better applications than others, that's what yours to vote on.

Okay.

Excellent.

All right.

Let's press on.

Thank you.

Uh 32nd in state, uh, excuse me, 32nd in center, uh the industrial complex, uh, the former Briggs and Stratton uh in the category of commercial or large multifamily property, or back from the Brink Award.

Uh the community within the corridor is a transformation of an abandoned 400,000 square foot industrial campus into an affordable housing development and community hub.

Uh the complex encompasses buildings within the West Center and North 32nd industrial historic district, listed on the state and national registers under criterion C as a notable representation of the industrial architectural heritage of the city of Milwaukee during its period of significance from 1936 to 1966, and under criterion A, due to its association with the Briggs and Stratton Company, one of the largest manufacturers of gasoline-powered small engines in the nation.

Here are some exterior photographs of the uh community within the corridor.

You can see the smaller photograph showing the building is missing, a large corner of the second story.

Wow.

And the restored building reconstructed.

Here's a before image in the bottom.

Uh and as it looks completed.

Nice.

So recreational space.

Before photograph, again, the smaller one, and then the completed version.

And then another before with no roof, uh, and then the completed after version.

Another before and after.

So that is Project 4.

Project 5 is the Urban Ecology Center, uh, Prairie Springs on Park, uh 1420 East Park Street, a park place.

Uh the historic name is Prairie Springs on Park, under the category of present preservation advocacy or preservation education.

The project renovated a 100-plus-year-old historic building, being sensitive to sustainability, ecological stewardship, and community connection.

Instead of discarding damaged sections originally built in Cream City brick.

15 pallets of brick were salvaged and reincorporated into the renovation to protect historical continuity while minimizing waste.

Um so this is an event space now for at the urban ecology center.

Um the renovation in progress, and then the completed version.

Uh the historic photo of the interior, and then the um renovation completed.

And this one is outstanding.

And Kubala, you know, what is listed as the architect outstanding.

Project 6 is Church of the Jesu, uh 1145 West Wisconsin Avenue.

Umperty.

Uh the Church of the Jesu is one of the most architecturally and culturally significant historic landmarks of the city of Milwaukee, dedicated in 1894, designed by Henry C.

Koch, architect of our beloved city hall, uh in the French Gothic revival style.

Uh the church is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

It's a locally designated landmark.

Um the recent renovation preserved historic sacred space of the church while being sensitive to adapting it for modern use.

Um here are some before and after photographs of the entrance.

And the nave some after renovation projects, uh photographs, and then uh the scaffolding uh in place for painting.

Tim and I had uh an opportunity to go there for a separate project, uh, but they did show us uh inside with all the scaffolding installed, not even all of the scaffolding part partially installed, and it was incredibly impressive.

It was a very large project.

Um the project seven, the Hilton, um, the former Schrader Hotel, Mark Plaza Hotel, Hilton Milwaukee City Center, under the category uh commercial or large multifamily property or historic additions to historic property.

I I will add the caveat that they didn't add an addition as part of this, but that that is a category that they applied for.

Um it is they did do a large renovation.

Um I will also add in I there is an addition, but it's over 20 years old and therefore not qualifying for an award.

So originally built in 1924 is the Schräger Hotel, Hilton Milwaukee's an Art Deco landmark in the city of Milwaukee.

Uh Hilton was listed uh on the national in the National Register of Historic Places a number of years ago.

Uh we reviewed it as a CLG uh project national register review when that came up.

Um largely to my understanding an interior renovation project.

I don't know that they did anything uh significant on the exterior, uh, but these are some great photos of the interior work after the renovation.

The monarch lounge.

They did remove the old Channel 58 tower from the roof as part of this.

It is still there.

Oh, it's still still there.

Okay.

But I think they were going to.

But that is uh supposed to have something that is in the works, I believe.

And it damaged all the plaster of the ceilings.

They're over there doing scanning.

So they repaired all the plaster of the ceiling.

Our final project is the Allen building, uh, 1942 to 44, North Martin Luther Luther King Jr.

Boulevard Drive.

Um category sensitive infill construction in a historic district.

The Allen building was designed as one of 17 buildings in a scattered site project called Bronzeville Estates.

Um designed by Enberg Anderson to include both new and renovated residential and commercial spaces.

Uh the Allen building was designed to close the gap in the fabric of the historic commercial district, uh, which was created when the original buildings were demolished in the 1970s.

Um the Bronzeville Estates Project renovated the buildings uh neck adjacent to it in 1950, um, and built the new infill building next door.

So this is the new construction uh under the category sensitive infill in a historic district.

Uh so this is the building itself.

This is the building in context with the historic fabric, the um adjacent buildings.

Yes.

That's viable.

So again, it matches the scale found in the historic district.

I did participate in the uh original design review with uh the citywide design review team because it was a city land sale.

Who's the architect?

In Burger Anderson.

Okay, so that is uh those are the eight applicants that we have for 2026.

Okay.

So do you still want to cancel it?

We'll see what the results are first.

I'm sort of teasing everybody, but I think that there are a number of nice ones.

Good ones.

Do you want to tally them right now?

Uh since Nick are Ann and Ann aren't here, we're gonna have to wait until morning.

Okay.

What do you want us to do?

Oh, I see this paper in front of us.

Yeah, I I emailed you the ballot already.

Thanks, I can you you want us to give this to you today?

Yes.

Thank you, Ann.

You must vote.

You must vote before you leave.

I'll take the belts over here.

Here's I'll take it over here.

Oh, and only in one, only one in each category you want us to do, correct?

Each project can only win one category.

But you can have more than one in a category.

Oh so the the Hilton put in two, and we certainly would not recommend them for addition.

We have no comment on whether you think they're uh viable for their interior work.

But let me ask you, like with the Hilton, it uh is it the sensitive edition?

Or is it commercial?

Sensitive edition is we are recommending strongly against.

Okay, so you you're saying to me it's under the commercial.

All right, nice if you want to vote for a new commercial, you are in touch certainly entitled to do so.

I see, I see.

We didn't see any pictures of uh and uh and what about the colour.

No, it's because it's 20 years old that we didn't push them to send extra photos because we had an in-filled project that's brand new.

That's new, so how can we not send photos of that?

What about an urban ecologies?

What do you what would you prefer?

Well, they've only applied under um.

Well, it's it's up to you what you think.

Oh so I'm gonna check into both categories?

Or just is that what you're suggesting?

Whatever you think is the most appropriate category.

We're not gonna tell you how to vote.

Except for the one this is except for Hilton disqualifying themselves for additions.

I don't know that building on demo, so we're gonna give them a building where you used to be.

Yeah.

Yes, yeah.

No, I didn't realize that.

That was one of the so what we saw in that uh Kubala shot go on park.

Okay.

You saw the other buildings that were demoed.

Yeah, there were buildings.

There were three cream cities like that.

That whoever the owner, I don't know, but they demoed two of them, so they kept that one and restored it.

So that award to some of the demo two of the buildings.

But it couldn't have been the urban ecology center, right?

No, no, no.

It's long west of the tracks of the railroad tracks.

Yeah.

I know exactly.

And right near that park where you walk and Simon did that stone arch.

Very nice.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

And they at least kept that one, but they had two others just like that.

Oh, I didn't know that.

We're demolished.

All right.

Well, the voting is complete.

I think we've got all ballots in.

And uh you said you'd like to tally those on Monday or tomorrow.

Correct.

Okay.

Excellent.

And then are we having it or aren't we?

I mean, you keep you keep throwing it back to us.

Yeah, be there.

So it doesn't mean let's have it.

Let's have it.

I would imagine that there would be some winners, I would hope.

So yes.

I mean if the winners better show off, though, right?

James who will bring it up.

That'll be nice.

Okay, I will say I will say of all the paper ballots, everyone voted for Jay Zoo, so we have at least one winner.

Wow.

Okay, we're on our way.

Excellent.

Okay.

Excellent.

All right.

Well, Matt, listen, is it if there really is going to be a little committee, I'm happy to help you.

I don't know.

If you want to do it at some point, they need a pretty good idea.

If you want to switch to every other year, no objection from us.

We'll sit and talk about it.

Okay, because I think it's an added interest to preservation to have it.

But and if we don't, if we don't really look at this and really take it seriously, it's like why are we spinning our wheels over here?

This is about marketing and also patting people on the back.

Right.

Yeah.

Oh agree.

It's a good thing.

We just have to do it better.

So tweak it.

Okay.

Uh moving on to updates and announcements.

I sent out today uh uh a notice of some upcoming very important training in Fond du Lac.

Please go.

It is very good.

In my ten years here, only Marion has shown up to that training.

What they can't give us the rundown again, Tim.

I think it's free.

Uh it is it is free.

You will have to cover your own expenses.

The city will get you out of the hotel tax.

Okay.

Okay.

That's ooh.

In that case, I'll go with the colour.

Well, uh Bob, Bob, if you go, you're covered by.

Where am I going now?

Uh Fondel Act for Preservation Commission training, if you want to.

Okay.

They will.

Yeah.

What's the dates on that?

Hotel Ret Law, Fond de Lac.

Oh, is that the one right downtown?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh.

Yes.

Nice.

Well, I've seen it from the outside.

I don't think I've ever been in it.

That's pretty nice.

Give me one second here to get.

Is it tallest building in final account?

Yeah, I believe so.

Oh, I think so, yeah.

That's gotta be.

One second.

Three stories.

Right.

Exactly.

But they're tall stories.

Right.

May 16th all day.

Uh hotel uh discount hotel rate of 100 a night.

Uh after all day you can't drive home.

Yep.

Yeah.

And Bob and Matt, you have your you have the tax exemptions on your own.

The rest of you let us know.

We'll give you the paperwork.

Okay.

Excellent.

All right.

Thank you.

Any other updates or announcements?

Just a reminder that the Cream of the Cream City Awards is scheduled for May 21st at best place.

5 30.

You'll send us out or we might.

Yeah.

And we'll get a press release out with the winners shortly.

I can't be there.

I'll be out of the country.

Where are you going to remote?

Panama.

And let me just ask everybody.

If there is only two or three, everybody's cool.

Okay.

I think there's going to be destination.

Okay, well.

Okay.

We'll throw it back to you.

I guess so, yeah.

Um, and cream cream of the cream city awards, same time here next year, right?

So everybody start looking at it.

Don't be caught off guard.

Um, it goes from Panama City.

With that, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

All right, second.

Second.

All right.

All in favor?

Fine.

All right.

This concludes.

Thank you.