It's one of those buildings that's been a million different things, each of them reflecting a distinct period in Milwaukee history. (Ok, maybe a not a million, but close!)
From a dairy company, to a horse trader, to a broom factory, to a row boat manufacturer, to a laundry press and more, the empty William P. Froehlich paper warehouse at Vel R. Phillips Avenue and Vliet Street dates back to the 1880s. You've probably seen it if you've circled the block looking for street parking around Fiserv Forum.
And it won't be vacant for much longer. Find out what the future holds for this unique Milwaukee building below.
The building has been purchased by Patrick Prabhu and Karl Rajani, who plan to add to the building and open a hotel, writes OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo.
The building itself is in somewhat rough shape. The roof needs extensive repair and the inside suffers from years of neglect. But you can't beat the location!
The owners have set an aggressive timeline with the goal of opening the hotel ahead of the Democratic National Convention next year.
"We're thinking 'downtown' will be in there, 'lofts' will be in there," Prabhu says, quoted in Bobby's story. "Downtown Lofts Haymarket is the name we came up with for now or Haymarket Lofts. And then it'll say Trademark Collection by Wyndham."
It's vacant nowadays and needs a lot of love. It will reopen as a hotel in 2020. Photos: Bobby Tanzilo. 
An inscription above the main entrance dates back to 1888. 
It will be reconfigured - the roof will be replaced and the ceilings will be lowered slightly to 10 feet. 
Years of neglect but lots of promise inside.
Read Bobby's complete story at OnMilwaukee, and be sure to listen to this week's episode above.
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