After years of sitting vacant, a large retail space at Journal Commons in downtown Milwaukee will be converted into apartments.
Milwaukee-based developer J. Jeffers & Co., in 2022, opened Journal Commons, a $35 million adaptive reuse project of the former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offices at 333 W. State St. The rehab converted most of the space into 141 apartment units, but left a 13,000-square-foot space on the building’s first floor available for a commercial tenant.
Jeffers now plans to redevelop about 10,000 square feet of that space, situated along Vel R. Phillips Avenue, into residential units. The space was previously used as the circulation desk and printing room for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, dating back to 1924.
The conversion will add 12 market-rate apartments to the property. Once completed, the redevelopment would bring the total number of apartments at Journal Commons to 153 units.
About 3,000 square feet of commercial space at the corner of Vel R. Phillips Avenue and State Street, which houses the former Journal Sentinel circulation desk, will remain available for a future retail or commercial tenant.
“That’s a really attractive space. We think we could get a good tenant for it,” said Josh Jeffers, CEO of J. Jeffers & Co.
The former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel circulation desk, which is in the space that will remain available for commercial tenants. Image from LoopNet
According to Jeffers, the retail space has been on the market since 2022 without securing a tenant, despite interest from multiple national brands.
Prospective tenants included Puttshack, a high-tech mini-golf and dining concept with locations around the country, which ultimately decided not to open a Milwaukee location, and Tom’s Watch Bar, which instead opened in the former MECCA Sports Bar space nearby in Deer District. There was also interest from sports apparel stores and other food and beverage tenants, all of which “at the 11th hour couldn’t advance to opening for various reasons,” Jeffers said.
“It’s a very interesting space with a lot of character to it,” Jeffers said. “I think that’s probably the reason why we had so many tenants take a look at it, because you can get very creative with the retrofitting of the space. But at this point, we decided residential is the best option for it. The rest of the apartments there have performed very well.”
Elizabeth Morin is a writer based in Virginia Beach. She is passionate about local sports, politics and everything in between.
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