Historic preservation commission approves several COAs, including Mitchell Street conversion and North Summit addition

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission approved multiple Certificates of Appropriateness on consent and after staff presentations, including a commercial storefront restoration, an apartment conversion and a rear addition.

Architects and staff described the projects in detail: a revised storefront for 235 South Second Street that uses full-height wood windows, transoms and period-appropriate moldings; a planned conversion of 1135 West Mitchell Street (a former retail building) into apartments with punched window openings, replacement windows and enclosure of a loading dock; and a two-story rear addition at 2546 North Summit Avenue designed to match existing materials while setting the new mass back with a recessed hyphen to differentiate new from old. Staff recommended approval of the Mitchell Street and Summit Ave. proposals, subject to final window and material details.

Misty Rodberg of Anderson Ashton presented the 2nd Street storefront drawings and explained the design intent to match an existing gridded opening. Staff said enough section details were in the file for the commission to approve the storefront with a condition that more detailed sections be provided for final certificate review. For 1135 W. Mitchell, staff noted the building had not historically had wood windows and recommended modern, narrow-line aluminum windows sympathetic to the steel-sash originals. Architect Keith Schultz said he would provide narrow-line aluminum windows to approximate the original profile.

For the 2546 N. Summit rear addition, architect Keith Barnes described material choices (brick first floor, stucco second floor, limestone sills, Marvin wood windows) and a recessed connection between old and new; staff recommended standard wood and masonry conditions and asked that LP trim be replaced with natural or acetylated wood. Commissioners approved that project with staff conditions.

The commission approved items 7 through 15 as staff-approved COAs in one group, and approved the item motions and votes on the record. No roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript; approvals were announced by voice vote.