MILWAUKEE (November 15, 2022) – Developer J. Jeffers & Co. along with the City of Milwaukee and other partners today debuted the Journal Commons historic luxury apartment building in downtown Milwaukee (333 West State Street). The $35+ million project now offers 141 residences at the former home of the historic Milwaukee Journal Sentinel property, originally constructed in 1924.
The property is the second development that is part of J. Jeffers & Co.’s historic renovation of the Journal Communications Block, following the opening of the Westown Green affordable student housing apartment building in 2021.
“It’s an exciting day to officially debut the Journal Commons property to the community,” said Josh Jeffers, founder and CEO of J. Jeffers & Co. “This building and its rich history are part of the fabric of Milwaukee. We worked hard to preserve that history and are so proud to be part of its next chapter.”
J. Jeffers & Co. worked diligently to preserve and restore historic elements of building, blending modern touches and amenities while paying homage to the building’s important history and connection to Milwaukee. The building’s lobby is now home to a modern coworking café for residents that still features its original wood paneling, marble flooring and phone booths. The fourth floor – originally home to the paper’s editor offices – is now the “Editor’s Suite” game room and historic lounge that retains the original floor, wood paneling and a wall mural depicting communication through the centuries. On the sixth floor, the more recently occupied editor offices were renovated into the “Sentinel Lounge,” a modern, state-of-the-art rooftop lounge with an outdoor deck that overlooks the Deer District. Other historic touches and art deco era inspirations were also blended throughout the building and in individual units.
“Milwaukee is constantly reinventing itself, and Journal Commons is a great example of that reinvention,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. “In the Deer District, in other parts of downtown and in neighborhoods all across Milwaukee, we continue to see significant development. I applaud all involved in bringing Journal Commons to this final stage.”
Journal Commons offers studio, junior one-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments with open kitchen concepts, quartz countertops, expansive windows, high ceilings, in-home washers and dryers, and stainless-steel appliances. In addition to the coworking and lounge spaces, other amenities include a fitness studio, pet spa, indoor heated parking, secured entry, bike storage, package room, on-site maintenance and more.
The project broke ground in August 2021. J. Jeffers & Co. utilized historic tax credits through a partnership with the City of Milwaukee for the development. Financing for the project was provided by Busey Bank, Midland States Bank, US Bank Community Investment Corporation and Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), with support from the City of Milwaukee. Project partners included Heritage Consulting Group, CG Schmidt, Eppstein Uhen Architects, Quorum Architects, Inc., Brothers Interiors, Three Sixty Design, and Founders 3 Property Management.
