JoAnne Johnson-Sabir stands in the middle of Sherman Phoenix, a business incubator in the Sherman Park neighborhood that is nearly fully funded.
This last week marks the two-year anniversary of the Sherman Park uprising—three days of unrest following the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith. Since that time, multiple community projects and initiatives have begun in an effort to restore the Sherman Park neighborhood.
However, not all of those projects have as large of a scope and mission as the Sherman Phoenix, a business incubator for small minority-owned businesses across Milwaukee. The project, spearheaded by developers JoAnne Johnson-Sabir and Juli Kaufmann, broke ground in May of 2017 at the former BMO Harris Bank that was burned down during the uprising in Sherman Park.
With more than $4 million raised so far, the project has only $300,000 left to complete the fundraising goal. This is exciting news for Johnson-Sabir, who has worked on the project since day one.
“We have a lot of entrepreneurs that are brilliant and that are doing amazing feats in spaces that do not reflect the beauty of their work,” she said. “So we wanted to create a space that magnified their gifts. The goal is not for this building to be one that is based on transactions, but one that is really curated and that has space for community events.”
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When finished, Sherman Phoenix will provide a space for more than 25 businesses, creating approximately 75 jobs for the community. Some of the tenants on board include Purple Door Ice Cream, Next Level Vegan, Lush Popcorn and Embody YOGA, among many others. Joanna Brooks, owner of Embody YOGA, is excited to move her business into the new space.
“I think, through engagement, the tenants and entrepreneurs of the Sherman Phoenix will have a powerful opportunity to model for the young people in the area what is possible for them,” said Brooks.
Brooks’ goal is to share yoga with people of color in Milwaukee. She said that she is excited to move into a brick and mortar studio so she can expand her business. “In a predominantly black area with few black owned businesses, it will provide an opportunity for young black people to imagine themselves as owners too,” she said.
The Sherman Phoenix project has only $300,000 left to raise to complete support for the project.
Johnson-Sabir, co-owner of The Juice Kitchen and a community developer for the past 16 years, said that communication was a key factor from the beginning of the project.
“We began with listening to residents,” said Johnson-Sabir. “This became an open conversation. For me, we feel the community will feel like it’s for them, not just for black folks.”
The tenants currently represent three categories—food, culture, and health and wellness. Johnson-Sabir said there will also be a commons area for community events and programs.
The developers hope to open in November. Johnson-Sabir said they expect to be fully leased in the next few days.
“I feel like there’s so much work to be done,” said Johnson-Sabir. “But I hope this is a point of replication. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”
To learn more about the project you can visit www.shermanphoenix.com.
