HISTORIC GARFIELD APARTMENTS

2215 North 4th Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

The Historic Garfield Campus redevelopment delivered to the Bronzeville neighborhood a full square block of mixed-income housing, America's Black Holocaust Museum, outdoor open space, parking, and an abundance of community pride. In the 1930s, the number of African-American owned businesses in the original Bronzeville exceeded all other areas of the city.

In the late 1950s, however, a portion of Walnut Street was demolished to make room for a freeway. Despite this loss, the memory of Bronzeville remains strong in Milwaukee. The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is a City of Milwaukee redevelopment initiative inspired by Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville District of the early to mid 1900s.

The primary African-American economic and social hub of its time, Bronzeville brought all ethnicities together to celebrate African-American culture, highlighting jazz, blues and the arts. Those living in Bronzeville recall a commercial corridor with nightclubs such as Metropole Club and the Moon Glow featuring performances by such pioneers as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Nat “King” Cole, to mention a few.

The 21st Century Bronzeville Initiative is revitalizing an area of Milwaukee where African-American culture has been a mainstay. The building includes the adaptive reuse of the Historic Garfield School into housing and artist spaces with a total of 30 units targeted to all households at 60% AMI. Both buildings have one, two and three bedrooms units.

Development partner: J. Jeffers & Co.

Historic Garfield School utilized the following funding sources:

-$5,073,645 LIHTC, Fed HTC, SHTC Equity Sources

-$1,066,000 Permanent Financing

-$1,000,000 City of Milwaukee TIF and HOME Funds

-$637,149 Deferred Developer Fee

-$300,000 Northcott Neighborhood House