Milwaukee building up for historic designation

By Molly Willms

Despite a delinquent property tax bill, a Milwaukee building is up for national designation as a historic property, a sign the property is headed for renovations.

Owners of the property owe nearly $45,000 in property taxes and late fees to the city of Milwaukee, but the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission said that will have little effect on the commission’s decision on whether to recommend the property.

The Milwaukee Paper Box Co. building’s nomination for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places will go before Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission on Monday. If approved, the commission will send an approval letter to the state, enabling the state at its August meeting to recommend it for national approval with the National Park Service.

Daina Penkiunas, the state historical society’s national register coordinator, said the designation is being sought so that the owners can get federal tax credits, which offset the costs of renovating historic properties.

The building at 1560 W. Pierce St. is owned by Roadster LLC, Milwaukee, according to the nomination, and will transfer to Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates Inc. in August.

The owners have until April 2014 to pay their taxes before they go to a collection agent, and about eight months after that before the building is eligible for tax foreclosure.

Still, it’s common for property taxes to be owed on commercial properties, said Jeff Fleming of the Department of City Development. In fact, he said, building and renovation permits can still be issued to owners who are delinquent on taxes.

“At some point,” he said, “they’re going to be paid.”

The building’s last taxes and fees were paid in full 11 months after their due date, according to Kerry Urban with the city treasurer’s office.

Matt Jarosz, the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, said the commission typically doesn’t let political or financial issues with a building’s owner have much weight in determining a building’s designation.

“If I were to tell you we always try to avoid non-historical matters, that wouldn’t be totally accurate,” Jarosz said. “It colors our evaluation a little bit.”

In general, he said, they try to let the building’s architecture and history dictate their decision; an approach he said is typical of historic preservation groups across the country.

Penkiunas said she doesn’t know if the building will be adapted for a new use or renovated to continue its current operation.

According to the nomination, the former manufacturing building was built in 1920. It is now used for industrial storage.

A phone number listed as belonging to Roadster is also the main number for C. Coakley Relocation Systems Co., a Milwaukee moving company.

Representatives for Roadster and Sherman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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