WE ARE STILL RAISING FUNDS!

**UPDATE :  We need more than our initial goal! Any dollar raised beyond the first goal helps us reduce our loan of $150,000- and we really need to do that.  And, any funds beyond that (let's be crazy optimists!  Why not?) would go to actually equip the kitchen!  So - let's blow right past our goal with this final momentum!

The Historic Walter Schmidt Tavern was built in 1893 and is located at 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave. in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood. Wally and Belle Schmidt ran the joint from 1935 to 1968. The tavern was famous for its steak sandwiches and fish fries. It was also a favorite hangout spot for Milwaukee's politicians and ballplayers alike -  famous Braves baseball player Warren Spahn held his son's birthday parties here (For more read about it in the newpaper story posted under the Gallery tab).  In 1968, the McCarthy family leased the tavern and renamed it Max & Mildred’s (Later M & M Lounge).  The lounge closed in 2010 and has been vacant since.

Much of the tavern’s original historic features are still in place, including a patterned hex-tile floor, finished wood molding and millwork, the historic bar, wrought ironwork, and embossed glass in the tavern’s entry door. Exterior features include a terra cotta roof, leaded glass windows, and decorative Mission Revival style piers. 

Juli Kaufmann (www.fixdevelopment.com) and Jeremy Davis have joined as partners to reclaim the building for a new sit-down restaurant on the first floor and offices on the second floor.  Juli has developed lots of local real estate recognized for its social and environmental impact.  She has also co-founded a pioneering crowdfundng vehicle called Fund Milwaukee where regular Milwaukeeans invest in local businesses and real estate.  Jeremy is a Lindsay Heights resident and works for Walnut Way Conservation Corp (www.walnutway.org), bringing extensive experience in community development both locally and globally. 

Duh.  This is an abandoned, foreclosed building that has suffered fire damage and vandalism.  It's located in Milwaukee's lowest income neighborhood. Overcoming these challenges will make success so much sweeter.  

• Mentorship:  An experienced developer (Juli) partners with a local resident (Jeremy) to enable skill transfer and capacity building through hands-on learning embedded right in the neighborhood.
  

• Community-identified economic development needs:  The Lindsay Heights neighborhood residents have identified this building and the proposed uses as high priorities to have catalytic impact on the neighborhood.
  

• Direct investment by community residents, and sustained community ownership: Local residents will participate as investors using a crowdfunding ownership model and local businesses are sought as tenants to ensure local wealth-building, local job creation, and local economic impact.  

This project will cost $500,000 and here's some good news. We've already raised much of it!  We have a loan, we have some investors, we have some grants, and we have our own real money and sweat equity.  We also have lease commitments for three of the four tenant spaces. So, if we build it - they will come and pay rent!  We are working on the final space - the restaurant- and conversations are exciting, but not yet official.  We really need help getting the kitchen transformed and our current funding is not enough.  

Well, the obvious impact will be a super cool restored building that is home to a fabulous restaurant where new memories can be made.  But, its about a lot more than that.