Acting Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson will join community partners on Saturday to highlight a new artist loft project in the city’s Harambee neighborhood.
Working with the city, Homeworks:Bronzeville, a cultural development initiative that supports growth and activity in the community, purchased vacant properties at 322-340 W. Meinecke Ave. for $1 total. The nonprofit plans to transform a duplex at 322 W. Meinecke Ave. into a single-family, live-work space for artists, and demolish a two-story, four-plex next door so the site can be used for year-round art installations and programming. The city acquired the properties via a tax foreclosure in 2015.
This will be HomeWorks: Bronzeville’s second development in the neighborhood. The first project, an adjacent live-work space for local artist Vedale Hill, was completed a few years ago. The organization received support for the Meinecke Avenue project from the City’s Art and Resource Community Hub, (ARCH) Loan Program, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and the Wisconsin Preservation Fund.
“I always love when members of the community and the city can collaborate to turn a blighted property into a hub that will support and uplift others,” said Alderwoman Miele Coggs, whose district will house the new development. “I want to thank all the partners and stakeholders who have helped make this project happen, and I look forward to unveiling the final product in the future.”
