The annual Cream of the Cream City Award winners have been announced, as has the yearly ceremony, slated for Thursday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Best Place at The Pabst, 901 W. Juneau Ave., in the Brewery District.
The city’s Historic Preservation Commission – in conjunction with the Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett – bestows thee awards upon individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to historic preservation and heritage education and advocacy in the city.
This year’s winners include:
- GLORIOSO BROTHERS REALTY LLC: For Glorioso’s Appetito at 1016-1022 E. Brady St. (Commercial Restoration/Rehabilitation)
- BUTTON BLOCK HOLDINGS LLC: For conversion of the Button Block into the Homewood Suites by Hilton, 500 N. Water St.
- MILWAUKEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: For preservation stewardship of the building at 910 N. Old World Third St.
- MKEFORT LLC: For the conversion of the F. Mayer Boot & Shoe Company into apartments and commercial space at 100 E. Pleasant St. / 1726 N. 1st St.
- COAKLEY BROTHERS COMPANY: For the Coakley Brothers Water Tower Building at 400 S. 5th St. (Industrial Restoration / Rehabilitation)
- DOCKS BUILDING LLC: For the Docks Building at 640 W. Freshwater Way (Conversion into apartments)
- 15TH & NORTH AVENUE APARTMENTS LLC/LEGACY REDEVELOPMENT CORP/LEGACY MIDWEST RENEWAL CORP/EVERGREEN REAL ESTATE GROUP: For the Blommer Ice Cream Company Building (Legacy Lofts) (Conversion into apartments and new construction)
- DAVID UIHLEIN: For Preservation Advocacy
The awards ceremony – which will also include the presentation of recognition plaques for properties of special importance to the African-American community and the Civil Rights Movement – is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
