Made in MKE: Robert Joseph

Revitalizing the Third Ward while maintaining its history and charm.

Before it was a bustling, welcoming neighborhood, Milwaukee’s Third Ward was largely occupied by austere warehouses and heavy industries. Restaurants were limited, residents were scattered, and shops and hotels were largely nonexistent. Vacant lots and ramshackle, old buildings dominated the area a few blocks south of downtown.

Robert Joseph ’88 liked that the Third Ward had established boundaries to the north, south, and east, and saw the potential. “It was modest in size, so I felt like I could make a difference in the area,” he said. “It had good bones for an interesting neighborhood.” Robert had spent the previous decade building residential condo units in the suburbs of southeast Wisconsin, perfecting the process to increase efficiencies. He loved the work and devoted all his energy to it. “I was obsessed. I barely slept. It was all I could think about.” But he was ready for a bigger challenge. 

When his first offer to purchase a building in the Third Ward, 191 North Broadway, was rejected, he bid on 249 North Water Street instead. That offer was accepted but, before closing, the Broadway property became available again. Suddenly, he was the owner of two empty buildings that needed renovations and tenants. “It was one of the more stressful times in my career,” he admitted. 

To attract residents to his buildings, he needed businesses. But to attract businesses, he needed residents. To appeal to both, he pursued a mixed-use model, renovating the structures to feature retail units on the ground floor and condos or apartments in the upper floors. Maintaining the buildings’ rich histories and architectural details was an added challenge that Robert found appealing. “As I look back on this, I think I was nuts,” he said. “I was crazy. But back then it didn’t feel that way. I was just hungry as hell.” 

It’s a blueprint that Robert has since replicated over and over, helping to transform the Third Ward into a vibrant destination that draws millions of tourists and residents annually. “It used to be a little side note of a neighborhood,” he said. “I never dreamed that an Anthropologie or a Kimpton Journeyman Hotel would move in. But now, it’s one of the things that draws people to the city. I think it’s the best part of Milwaukee.”