A larger building in Milwaukee's West Mitchell Street Historic District would be razed to make way for a five-story apartment development under plans filed with city officials.

The 55-unit development, which would include street-level commercial space, is being proposed for 1101-1113 W. Historic Mitchell St., according to plans filed with the Historic Preservation Commission.

That's the site of a two-story, 47,000-square-foot building that developer Zuwena Cotton described in her proposal as dilapidated and underused.

Cotton operates BBE Investments and Development LLC, which owns the building.

She is proposing to replace it with the new development, named The Encore.

It would feature 18,380 square feet of street-level commercial space along with the upper floor apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Parking would be on a surface lot at 1718 S. 12th St.

"The new design will be a combination of Art Deco and modern chic. By erecting the new development, we will bring an encore to the once thriving commercial district that was known as the 'second downtown' of Milwaukee," Cotton's proposal said.

"The Encore will symbolize not what we had, but the possibilities of what we can become," it said.

But that would require the commission's approval to demolish a prominent building within a historic district.

The Art Deco-style building was constructed in 1937 and was initially the site of Grand Department Store, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Its current tenants include Mitchell Beauty Supply Store.

The commission's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5.

The commission rarely approves the demolition of historic buildings. But its decisions can be appealed to the Common Council.

Unlike the commission, the council balances the public interest in preservation with the owner's interest in using the property.

That led the council in 2020 to deny historic status for the former Forest Home Branch Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave. It was demolished and replaced by a Children's Wisconsin clinic, which opened in June.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Historic Mitchell St. building to be razed for apartments under plan