Commission recommends local designation for Edenside Apartments after public hearing

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission on Oct. 6 voted to recommend that the Common Council grant permanent local historic designation to the apartment building at 3131 West Wells Street, historically known as the Edenside Apartments.

Staff presented a detailed historic and architectural report that identified the building as a 1924 Colonial Revival–style apartment designed by the firm Rosman and Wierdsma and developed by Charles Danielson. Staff recommended designation under criteria F5 (embodiment of a distinguishing architectural type) and F6 (identification as work of a master architect) and provided historic maps, permit records and comparative context to support its findings.

A public hearing was opened as required. Laura Simosier, owner of the nearby Schuster Mansion Bed and Breakfast and the nomination’s sponsor, testified in favor of designation and described long-running neighborhood concerns about demolition threats, a past contractor-driven alteration that had been stopped by aldermanic intervention, and a recent fire at the apartment that killed a child and led to theft of plumbing and flooding in the basement. Simosier said designation would help preserve neighborhood character: "...please help us to try to keep this neighborhood to be more historical," she said.

After closing the public hearing, commissioners amended the staff report to use the building's historic name, Edenside Apartments, and approved the motion to recommend designation to the Common Council. The commission noted the nomination will next proceed to the zoning committee and then to the Common Council for final action; if approved, the designation timeline includes a short period for the mayoral veto window and other statutory steps before becoming effective.

Staff observed the building is undergoing restoration work after the 2025 fire and that contractors were on-site at the time of staff visits. The commission recorded the designation recommendation based on the staff's historic analysis and public testimony.

Clarifying details
- Historic name: Edenside Apartments (file submitted under the developer name Charles Danielson apartment but amended to Edenside Apartments in the commission action).
- Construction: 1924; architect firm Rosman and Wierdsma; Colonial Revival style with modest application in window patterns, entrance treatments and masonry details.
- Units: Staff reported six units in the building; recent fire caused significant interior damage and a subsequent period of vacancy and boarding.
- Next steps: Commission transmits recommendation to the zoning committee and Common Council; designation is not yet final until council action (and possible mayoral action) completes the process.

The recommendation is procedural (a transmittal to the council) but significant to neighbors and preservation advocates seeking regulatory protection for exterior features of the building.