New life for an old barn? A historic farmhouse and barn in Greendale may be restored and repurposed
Greendale’s historic Stelzer farmhouse and Bertram Family Dairy barn may soon be restored and repurposed to include a café, restaurant and maybe even a rock climbing wall in the silo.
The village’s plan commission recently reviewed a concept plan spearheaded by resident Virginia Emmons for the property near the intersection of Loomis Road and Root River Parkway. Emmons is working to finalize a park improvement plan and term sheet as part of a long-term property lease with Milwaukee County Parks.
Emmons’ goal is to restore the building and make various other improvements to the site. The two buildings were constructed in the late 1800s to early 1900s and require extensive repairs to avoid being demolished.
Greendale Village President Jason Cyborowski said Emmons has done “a lot of great things in Greendale.”
A serial entrepreneur, Emmons co-founded multiple businesses and initiatives including two in Greendale, opening Field Workshop in 2021 and Broad Street Coffee Co. in 2022.
As a Girl Scout, she participated in various activities on this site and wants to preserve it.
“She didn’t want to see that get torn down,” Cyborowski said, adding it has been unused for "quite some time."
Since the buildings are slated for demolition, Emmons is on a time crunch. Cyborowski said she is talking with Milwaukee County now and he hopes she’ll be back soon with a full proposal.
“I just feel very hopeful and positive that she came forward with this,” he said. “If anyone can get it done, she can get it done.”
The farmhouse is approximately 1,650 square feet and needs about $281,413 worth of repairs, while the barn is 5,810 square feet and requires $514,001 of work, according to city documents.
Emmons hopes to rent out the farmhouse for short-term stays.
As for the barn, there are many ideas on the table, including an event space, sports equipment rental shop, outdoor recreational space — possibly utilizing the silo as a rock-climbing wall, a café for those utilizing the nearby Oak Leaf Trail, a seasonal restaurant or simply for educational programming, according to city documents.
“A lot of the stuff she brought forward were actually great ideas,” Cyborowski said, adding the plan commission felt “very positive about it.”
While historic sites are permitted in the Park District, some of the more intensive uses could require special use approvals.
As this is just a concept plan, no formal action was taken by the plan commission. Emmons would need to submit a special use approval and site plan review for the proposed uses.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter @Redheadliner.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A historic farmhouse and barn in Greendale may soon be restored
