Brew City Match announces winning commercial property developments and small business owners Redevelopment of Grand Avenue School among winners of Brew City Match's third round of competition MILWAUKEE- November 5, 2020- Brew City Match, an initiative focused on catalyzing small business growth and commercial real estate development in neighborhoods surrounding downtown Milwaukee, is announcing the winners of the third round of competition. “Brew City Match is investing in small business owners, and in catalytic real estate projects in Milwaukee neighborhoods,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “This is an important time to show support for commerce in neighborhood commercial corridors as everyone navigates the current pandemic”.
The third round of applications was processed virtually, and 33 winners were selected. Winners include 24 business owners and 9 commercial properties; 100% of business owners are entrepreneurs of color, and 84% are women owned businesses. Winners apply in one of four tracks: Business Planning, Space, Cash, and Commercial Property Development.
Property owner Rick Wiegand is one of the Brew City Match winners from this round. Rick is redeveloping the former Grand Avenue School into the 40-room Grand Avenue Suites to be operated by the management team of the Ambassador Hotel. The renovation will have a design focus on its historic educational use and create the most unique guest room accommodations in Milwaukee, which will preserve and feature original hardwood floors, black boards, desks and built-in cabinets. “The Grand Avenue School development is important for the Near West Side neighborhood because it will change the perception of a blighted property to one of revitalization at the visually prominent 27th & Wisconsin intersection”, states property owner Rick Wiegand. “The project will serve as a catalyst for redeveloping the entire block because the site improvements will visually and functionally connect it to the Tower Theater and Liberty/Doctors Hospital buildings to the north, enhancing the success of the contiguous projects”.
“We love the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that Brew City Match unleashes,” said Al Araque, Market Director, Banking for JPMorgan Chase. “The access to opportunity this collaborative model provides for Milwaukeeans in this community now is more important than ever.”
“Brew City Match is providing access to capital for small business and commercial property developments,” said Beth Haskovec, Program Officer at LISC Milwaukee. “In partnership with neighborhood stakeholders we are able to invest in commercial real estate that will have a catalytic impact and garner additional investment in the neighborhoods”. The next round of competition will be open in Spring 2021. More information about the program can be found at www.brewcitymatch.com. A full list of Round Three winners can be found here.