Milwaukee Rising » greenhouse

Who d’ya know wants to really overpay for the old greenhouse site?

Gretchen Schuldt — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:58:10 +0000

The undeveloped greenhouse site at N. 51st St. and W. Bluemound Rd. can be yours for a mere 234% of its assessed value, according an advertisement on the Milwaukee version of Craig’s List.

Reply to: sale-956419310@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2008-12-13, 10:58AM CST

Story Hill Place 51st and Bluemound. Condo Project, (3) 2 Family condo units with approved plans. Developed and ready to build. No impact fees. Private street.
760,000.00

Yowza! The total assessed value for the site is $324,400, according to records online at the city assessor’s office. And let’s not forget, property values in the city have fallen dramatically since the last assessment, which reflect January 2008 values.

Story Hill Investments, LLC, which now owns the site, won city approval to build condos there, but operators Sheila Firari and Lance Dornbrook didn’t even bother to mow the weeds this summer (compelling the city to do it for them and garnering them a cool $1,215 in special charges on their property tax bills) or shovel the walk this winter, making for hazardous walking along Bluemound. Story Hill Place is now being used to store snow from the recent endless snow storms.

Story Hill condos get Common Council OK

Gretchen Schuldt — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:17:51 +0000

Plans for the construction of six condominium units on the old greenhouse site on W. Bluemound Rd. were approved this week by the Common Council.

Developer Sheila Firari and Story Hill Investments LLC originally proposed six single-family homes on the site, but that did not prove economically feasible.

“Market conditions have been very soft and interest in the lots has been minimal,” Justin L. Johnson, senior project manager, wrote to a Department of City Development official.

After some back-and-forth with neighbors, Firari’s revised plan, featuring condominiums, won support from those live closes to the site.

According to the City Plan Commission: “The three duplex condominium structures will have attached garages at the rear of the units. The garages will be accessed via shared driveways. Each unit will have approximately 2,300 sq ft of livable area, and will have three bedrooms or two bedrooms plus a den. All units will also have three bathrooms, a first floor master bedroom with laundry, full basement, and a two car-plus garage.”

Here is an earlier post, with renderings of the buildings.

Firari plans for greenhouse site move forward

Gretchen Schuldt — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:57:26 +0000

The latest plans for houses at 5033 W. Bluemound Rd. moved forward a bit last week when Story Hill residents attending a neighborhood meeting voted in favor of the designs.

The proposed development also must be approved by the Common Council, which developer Sheila Firari has said she will try to get done next month. More on the proposed houses here.

Story Hillers: New proposal for greenhouse site; meeting scheduled

Gretchen Schuldt — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:00:50 +0000

The latest home designs proposed by developer Sheila Firari for the former greenhouse site at 5033 W. Bluemound Rd. will be the subject of a neighborhood meeting at 7:15 p.m. Thursday evening, Sept. 25, at Hawley Rd. Elementary School, 5610 W. Wisconsin Ave. The meeting is being hosted by Ald. Michael Murphy.

Come give your opinions!

Firari now is proposing to build three two-family side-by side condos. The immediate neighbors are generally supportive of the latest incarnation, according to Firari and a quick neighbor check by Milwaukee Rising.

Can it be that this site will finally be developed? Here are renderings of the proposed buildings. Click on the pics to see larger versions.

Latest proposal for the old greenhouse site in Story Hill

Gretchen Schuldt — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:08:12 +0000

Here’s the latest designs developer Sheila Firari is proposing for the lots she owns with a partner on Bluemound Rd. west of N. 50th St. in Story Hill, the site of the former greenhouse. Note that the garages are on the west side of the houses and very near Mitchell Blvd. Park. Previous, similar layout proposals have been rejected by neighborhood residents. Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

The plans received a lukewarm reception when Firari presented them to a group of neighborhood residents according to a couple people who were there.