What Else Could Milwaukee Do With Its Vacant School Buildings?

Sherman Park Senior Living Community celebrated its grand opening this week. Located at 3245 N. 37th St., the building used to house Jackie Robinson Middle School and before that, Peckham Junior High. MPS closed the building in 2005.

TheMilwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Gorman & Co. purchased the property from MPS for $600,000 and broke ground in 2011. And now, the Sherman Park Senior Living website shows that all of the affordable rental housing units are currently being rented.

Take a peak inside:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdBzZsHU1ZM

But, what about all of the other vacant schools in the area?

MPS owns 11 empty school buildings, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Here are two examples of how vacant schools were transformed in other cities:

Credit Fraser Valley Pulse, Flickr

McMenamins’ Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon
The once-abandoned elementary school is now a hotel with a restaurant, bars, movie theater and brewery.

Safe Haven in St. Louis, Missouri
The Peter & Paul Community Services organization is currently renovating an old St. Louis elementary school into apartments for chronically homeless men and women.