This was Teweles Seed Company in 2003 -- a grungy-looking, ragged old industrial tower from 1918, in brawny concrete and battered brick and glass. The grounds were deserted, home to liittle more than ancient abandoned trucks and dumped tires.
This is the Teweles building today - remarkably renovated into rental apartments, with a shiney modern penthouse addition up top.
It's way too easy to romanticize decay, to lament the passing of the old industrial face of Milwaukee and bemoan the coming of the dreaded condominiums. Don't fall for it. The City Needs More People -- this is the infallible mantra of the savvy urbanist, and will be for many, many years to come. This part of the 5th Ward is a frontier now, but check back in five to ten years and by rights it should be bustling.
(All that said, they seem to be having quite a few management problems.)
More before and after shots may be seen here.
3 comments:
I have always been interested in the old Teweles Seed warehouse. Mostly due to its disproportionate height. I was delighted to see the building get converted. My understanding is that the apartments are pretty bare bones and are still a good deal.
It has sparked development in the neighborhood though. One block south, across from the elevated rail tracks, another old warehouse is being converted and down the block a new hotel is moving into an old warehouse.
You do some fantastic work. I was gonna mention the Grede foundary, but you've already got that up here somewhere.
Then I was going to tell you about the old Solvay Coke Co, and found you had already been there. You are awesome. Keep up the amazing story of Milwaukee demolishing the gems of it's past.
I used to work at the Teweles building as caretaker from 1995 until when it was sold in 2003. I took video footage of the inside-before construction, during remodeling, and open house. I even had 2 large speaker horns on the tower which played Christmas music to the 3rd ward and 5th ward areas during the time I worked. thank you for posting the pictures.
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