Black History Month: ThriveOn King honors past, inspires future

MILWAUKEE - A redevelopment in Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood is finally complete.

ThriveOn King, at 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, connects three vital Milwaukee neighborhoods: Halyard Park, Harambee and Brewers Hill.

A vibrant hub

What we know:

ThriveOn King features community, commercial and residential space. The first floor of the building houses anchor tenants, Malaika Early Learning Center, JobsWork MKE and Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. It also features a community gathering space, public art, a wellness space, healthy food options and more.

ThriveOn King is also the new home for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and houses the Medical College of Wisconsin's community engagement programs.

History of the building

The backstory:

The massive space on MLK and Brown Street sat vacant for decades.

Constructed in the 1800s, the building was Schuster's department store, later becoming Gimbels-Schuster’s until 1969.

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In time, the property was sealed up and left vacant.

What they're saying:

"We began this process in 2018 and we wanted something, obviously, in our most challenging neighborhoods. When we saw something that was blighted. We saw it as an opportunity to improve the neighborhood," Royal Capital Group President/CEO, andand co-chair of ThriveOn Collaboration, Kevin Newell said.

"Going back to the 30s and 40s, 50s. This was a German community. So much so they had a sign that said we speak English here. Then it changed to a pointed destination. The Black renaissance of Milwaukee, where black folks came to this community largely from the south. They had to call this place their entertainment district.

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"Fast forward to the 80s and 90s when it became a no-go zone. Nobody wanted to go there. So we finally had the opportunity to bring this asset back," he said.

"People from all backgrounds"

Why you should care:

"When we hear people from all backgrounds come to ThriveOn King, and they see all the historic preservation that was done in the building, and they can talk about, ‘this is where I bought my first pair of heels,’ or ‘this is where I first met the love of my life,’ or ‘my grandmother used to work here,'" Newell said. "We really are at that center point that allows for us to have a multicultural attraction that draws in so many different types of people."

ThriveOn King is possible because of a unique collaboration of individuals and organizations.

It honors Bronzeville's past, present and future.

"This was the neighborhood where we settled. Yep. we settled. We thrived and now we're trying to thrive on," Newell said.

Visit the ThriveOn Collaboration website for more.