Last year one of Downtown Milwaukee’s historic buildings, the Germania (135 W. Wells St.), was purchased with an eye toward redevelopment. Since closing the deal in September 2014, the three developers—Vangard Group, Cardinal Capital Management and Endeavour Corp.—have been occupied with preparations for the Beaux-Arts building’s renovation, which include relocating current office renters before January 2016, when construction is scheduled to start.
According to Vangard Group’s founder and president, Kalan R. Haywood Sr., the Germania was in foreclosure in 2013 when he commenced working on the real estate deal. Haywood saw an opportunity to restore and revitalize the building by converting it from an office building to more than 70 apartment units. According to Haywood, the revitalization is critical to enhancing a “diverse and functional Downtown that will attract young professionals.”
The 1896 structure stands out on the Milwaukee skyline and occupies a unique place in world architecture for its set of copper domes in the shape of the spiked helmets then worn by German troops. Some of the credit goes to the “Tiffany of Wrought Iron Masters,” Austrian-born metal smith and architect Cyril Colnik. He not only worked on the Germania, but also for the mansion that became the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, the Pabst Theater, Mader’s Restaurant and Milwaukee’s City Hall.
Colnik worked with the local firm of Schnetzky & Liebert, whose German-trained architects designed the Germania’s grand arch entrance with its Greek Revival pillars, spiked domes, the gold engraved word “Germania” on the floor at the entrance, the fine gold railings, the ornate letter box and elevator and the grand marble staircase. Colnik’s attention to detail as well as his eye for extraordinary metal work/design is felt throughout the eight stories.
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According to Alan J. Strekow’s Cyril Colnik, Man of Iron, his involvement and move to Milwaukee began with an invitation from beer baron Fredrick Pabst, luring him with the numerous commissions he could receive for his talents. The Germania building was originally the office of a German language newspaper and other publications by George Brumder, an immigrant to Milwaukee who got his start as a streetcar tracklayer and rose through banking and bookselling to become the city’s most prominent German publisher at a time when that language was almost as common here as English.
For the Germania project, Haywood applied an entrepreneurial model to historic architectural renovation.
His interest in architecture and business began when he saw dilapidated housing in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville. Raised by his grandmother, who owned a record store, he was exposed to entrepreneurship and applies the model of “wealth generation” as a means of “solving problems” in impoverished African American neighborhoods. After studying architecture and urban planning at UW-Milwaukee, Haywood established Vangard Group, a company that works in tandem with the government, community partners, and the private and public sectors to achieve its mission of aggressively enhancing and changing the lives of people.
Some previous examples of Vangard’s development portfolio include The Inner City Arts Building, Prince Hall Village Apartments and Townhomes, Lisbon Terrace Apartments and Grand Avenue Lofts.
Moving forward with his most recent development, the Germania, Haywood plans to also address the parking issue that will face prospective tenants. He is in negotiations with the City of Milwaukee to purchase or lease parking space. Some have inquired whether the eight-story proposed redevelopment can be a “mixed-use” building with retail and some office space. This consideration may provide an added value to Downtown as well as honor Milwaukee’s distinctive architectural heritage.
