The former Llewellyn Library in Bay View is now up for sale for $300,000.
The 8,234 square-foot building, located at 907 E Russell Ave., used to be the Milwaukee Public Library but was replaced in 1993 by the Bay View Library on Kinnickinnic Ave.
The former Llewellyn Library, built in 1913 and expanded in 1958, is zoned as RT4 residential. This zoning allows for up single-family to four-unit homes and "commercial establishments commonly found in urban neighborhoods," according to the city zoning code.
The Milwaukee Department of City Development prefers an adaptive reuse of the building as residential, low-traffic commercial, studio, shop, or art gallery space.
The former library cannot be used as a "parking lot, pawnshop, cigarette or cigar shop, gun shop, tavern, liquor store, currency exchange, payday or auto-title loan store, medical service facility, daycare facilities," or uses prohibited by zoning according to the Department of Development.
The selected developer cannot apply for tax exemption and must host an informational neighborhood meeting explaining the new use of the building.
According to our partners at OnMilwaukee, after the former library closed, it was briefly leased to Milwaukee Public Schools, which used it for Bay View High School's Redcat Academy, a program to "serve at-risk students with a mix of programming that included NJROTC, construction and technical specialty training."
The building has sat vacant since the Redcat Academy program ended over a decade ago.
The Milwaukee Department of City Development issued a Request for Proposals for the 17,315 square-foot lot.
Proposals to buy the building are due by noon on Tuesday, July 30.