The apartments line the upper two floors of the building, but for some long-lost reason, the hallway is not the same width on each floor. Photos shared with Urban Milwaukee (included below) show floor-to-ceiling moss growing amidst crumbling walls and peeling paint.Ĭonversion to a modern apartment building wasn’t as simple as cleaning things up and carving out standardized units. His wife, Vicky Morrison, led my tour and noted how the building was literally growing on the inside when they acquired it. Morrison also moved to the neighborhood and is working to restore one of Walker’s Point’s historic homes alongside its commercial buildings. A raze order was issued to a prior owner in 2016.īut Morrison, through his firm True Inc., acquired the building and set out an ambitious plan to save it with project architect Continuum Architects + Planners. Prior to Morrison acquiring it, the city viewed the building, most recently used as a rooming house, as being in such poor condition that it should be demolished. The George is scheduled to open on March 1st. The apartments, 12 in all, opened in September for its first residents. Below The George lies “The Madcap Lounge,” a bar and dining space for event cocktail receptions and other private dinners. A smaller space, known as “The Salon” and well-suited for a wedding party, is located in an annex building. The event space will be known as “The George,” a nod to Walker’s Point founder George Walker. The apartments in the three-story building will be known as “The Block.” a nod to the building’s original name “National Block” and date of construction “1882.” that are etched into the building’s cornice. “I think what we get is this incredible compromise of old and new,” said Franke on a tour of the space. It’s a top-to-bottom overhaul that includes new apartments, a rooftop deck, a first-floor event venue and a well-appointed basement bar. Photos by Jeramey Jannene and Vicky Morrison.ĭeveloper Michael Morrison and investor Jay Franke are putting the final touches on the redevelopment of a 138-year-old building at 425-431 W.

George and madcap lounge