Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

Milwaukee NNSnewsMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Owner seeks nonprofit to purchase Sherman Boulevard auction house

Owner seeks nonprofit to purchase Sherman Boulevard auction house

April 27, 2015 by Edgar Mendez 7 Comments

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
  • The Schrager Auction Galleries building, located at 2915 N. Sherman Blvd., has been closed since 2010. (Photo by Adam Carr)
  • Office supplies collect dust on the first floor of the auction house. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
  • View from the balcony. (Photo by Adam Carr)
  • (Photo by Adam Carr)
  • (Photo by Adam Carr)
  • (Photo by Adam Carr)
  • (Photo by Adam Carr)

Standing on the trash-sprinkled front steps of the Schrager Auction Galleries, 2915 N. Sherman Blvd., Wolfgang Rosenau recalls the deathbed conversation he had with the building’s late owner, auctioneer Al Schrager.

“I made a promise to a dying friend,” Rosenau said.

It was September 2013 when Schrager, by then too weak to speak, squeezed the hand of Rosenau, his friend and fellow antiques dealer, acknowledging Rosenau’s promise to help find a suitable owner for his beloved auction house, located across the street from Sherman Park.

Soon after, Schrager passed away.

The half-block-long solid stone building, which features an enormous stained glass dome in addition to a 1,400-seat auditorium, has languished on the market since 2010, after Schrager moved his auctions online.

The building originally opened in 1920 as the Third Church of Christian Science, but was purchased by Schrager in 1980 as the headquarters for the auction business he would run for more than 60 years.

“My dad felt blessed to do his business as an auctioneer in this building,” said Jeff Schrager, a real estate broker in California.

Wolfgang Roseanau stands against the center aisle of pews. (Photo by Adam Carr)

Wolfgang Roseanau stands against the center aisle of pews. (Photo by Adam Carr)

Schrager described his father as a caring man with a strong faith in God and sense of community. The son said his father wanted the building to serve a higher purpose, such as reverting to a church or serving the area in another way. Schrager said he hopes the building could serve a purpose that honors his father’s spirit.

“We want it to be more than just a landmark; we want it to be a useful component of the community he was a part of,” Schrager said, adding that a nonprofit or a group of community organizations would be a great fit for the building.

Finding a new owner for the building, which had a price tag of $1.2 million in 2010 but is now listed at $549,000, has been a challenge.

The auction house is located in the 53210 ZIP code, which once housed A.O. Smith Corp., Briggs and Stratton Corp. and many others factories that have since shuttered or moved away, eliminating thousands of jobs once held by area residents. In 2012, nearly half of families in 53210 had annual incomes of less than $20,000, compared to 29 percent in Milwaukee County, according to a UWM Employment and Training Institute study.

The needs of residents in the area have changed a great deal since the days when the building served as a world market and items ranging from sets of ivory dishware to $100,000 tapestries were sold there, Rosenau said.

That’s why he has been reaching out to city officials, school administrators, theatre owners, nonprofit organizations and just about anyone else who will take the time to listen to his idea to turn the building into a neighborhood anchor. Rosenau keeps a log, now six pages, of each person he’s contacted so far.

He’s immersed himself in the community, attending gun violence conferences, town halls and other meetings, each time learning more about the lives of African Americans in Milwaukee and the connection between poverty and violence.

He regularly invites community leaders to visit the auction house and consider running a community center there. “How great would that be if the building could become the Al Schrager Community Center,” said Rosenau, before heading up a staircase to the second floor.

“This is about more than selling the building, it’s about improving the neighborhood,” Rosenau added.

Rosenau thinks that organizations are afraid to invest in the neighborhood, but says if they do, crime will decrease significantly.

Recently, the Near West Side Partners introduced a three-year, $1 million initiative called Promoting Assets and Reducing Crime (PARC) to improve the area near Marquette University by engaging residents and business leaders in the community.

Jeff Schrager said he would like to see the same type of concerted effort by city officials and other stakeholders to repurpose the building as a catalyst for change in the Sherman Park neighborhood.

“To let a building that is that key to the neighborhood go unused is a tragedy and a failure … of city officials to people in that neighborhood,” Schrager said.

To increase the odds that a nonprofit will occupy the building, the family would consider making a valuable charitable donation or offering a below-market sale price, according to Schrager.

The building is remarkably well kept, and hints of its past uses are everywhere. In a room above the auditorium’s upper balcony sit rows of lockers once used by ushers for the church. Behind the auditorium stage, where auctions were held, are bathrooms, small bedrooms, storage and other rooms. There are several other large spaces that were used for auctions, according to Rosenau.

“They’re perfect office spaces,” he remarked.

Scattered across different sections on the first floor of the auction house are a mix of Schrager family possessions and remnants from the auction house business: empty hutches, outdated desktop computers, fax machines, conference phones and coffee cups filled with pens and pencils.

The building is big enough to house six to eight smaller agencies, or perhaps one big one, while the auditorium can be used for talent shows and other fundraisers — “something for the kids in the neighborhood to look forward to,” Rosenau said.

One stumbling block is that there are only a few parking spots in the back, and street parking is limited. Rosenau said he’s had conversations with city officials about the possibility of turning another property into a parking lot for the building.

Dozens of tours for potential occupants have been held over the past few months with no luck, according to Schrager. Still, he said, “We’re not looking to dump it or donate it just to get it off our shoulders.” He said he’d like the community to rally together to find a solution for the landmark building, even if it means renting it out.

Until that happens the auction house will remain unused, and Rosenau’s promise to a dying friend will loom larger and larger on his mind.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News, North, Sherman Park

About Edgar Mendez

Facebook |  Twitter | More stories from Edgar

Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.

Comments

  1. gloria nichols says

    October 28, 2015 at 8:10 am

    Good morning my name is gloria nichols and my son was murdered on august 19, 2015, by a man he was renting a house to and the guy decided he wanted his money back . Because my son didn’ t give it back fast enough he killed my son, My son was into Real Estate and putting job in the comnunity so he brought up a lot of properties and trained young men and women to fix up houses and one they were done he rented to people who could not rent due to envictions on their name and when he died my heart was broken because I couldn’ t understand why that man did it. So in my child hinor. I’m starting an organization in his name because he left a legacy behind and i want to help my community out with job seeking education, youth programs and gun provention programs and I know that would be a great building to have in the community to help built back upthe community . I would like to know if we could meet to talk about the buikding on sherman. Thank you Ms. Gloria Nichols.

    Reply
    • Wolfgang says

      March 12, 2016 at 10:03 pm

      Dear Ms. Nichols.

      I’m sorry for not finding your comment sooner. A friend emailed me to look at your message today, March 12. First, I am so sorry for your loss and hope you are recovering from this horrible ordeal. I think what you are trying to do is very admirable. I realize you wrote me over 4 months ago, but if you would still like to meet and talk, I’d be happy to do so. My name is Wolfgang, and my number is 414-352-7977.

      Thank you.

      Reply
    • Jill says

      September 22, 2016 at 10:53 pm

      Gloria, your story should be shared. Gave me chills to read. I too wanted to invest here.. I am not a big investor.. A conscientious arty small business owner. I wanted to buy this church and use as part charity auction house / art gallery and sober coffee house & community learning center … but was scared away by violence in this area after the man was shot coming to help child hit by a car. I am so sorry for your loss. :'(

      Reply
  2. Sandar Banks says

    February 23, 2016 at 7:25 am

    I would like information on how to contact
    Wolfgang Rosenau

    Reply
  3. Janice Parker says

    January 13, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Dear Mr. Schrager,
    My name is Janice Parker and God led me to look at the bldg. because He wants to place His ministry there. When God places upon your heart to give me that bldg. please call me at 414-234-2661.
    Sincerely Yours,

    Janice

    Reply
  4. Judy Moncree says

    January 20, 2017 at 9:20 am

    The auction house will have an offer soon! And will be offering everything from educational services to faith services!

    Reply
  5. Albert Jackson says

    September 5, 2017 at 12:07 am

    mr Wolfgang Rosenou my name is albert l jackson and i do belive i have a solution to this inner city killing thats been going on,lm a felon and at 67years old lm still on parol,GOD has given me a chance to give back to this town and Community,my Organization HAND CUFF FREE UNCHAINED corp.i would like very much to meet with you i can be reached at 414-236 5749 office,my cell 414-881-4948 thank you

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Recent News

What you need to know to feed your baby during formula shortage

The Healistry Summit takes aims at Milwaukee mental wellness

5 things to know and do the weekend of May 20

Advertisement
Give today to support our mission. Donate to Milwaukee NNS.
Advertisement

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in