Esperanza Unida International Building To Open Within Days After Major Repairs Conducted

Tenants expected to have access to the Ezperanza Unida International building after a 13-day lock-out and were prohibited to enter by city inspectors because it was deemed unfit for human habitation (fire hazard).

By H. Nelson Goodson

July 7, 2014

Milwaukee, WI - On Monday, La Esperanza Unida, Inc. notified City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services that the International Building at 611 W. National Ave. has repaired a faulty electrical wiring that disabled the fire sprinkle system compressor that resulted in a 13-day lock-out of all the tenants due to a fire hazard or the building was unfit for human habitation. Esperanza Unida was also required to provide ventilation on the third floor, according to the Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood Services. Plans are set to comply with the ventilation issue, which will not be an issue to open the rest of the building. City building inspectors are expected at Esperanza Unida on Tuesday morning to inspect the repairs.
The 611 building on W. National had been closed since, June 25 after a three-day notice by the city. All the tenants were prohibited to enter or conduct business, unless authorized to enter by the city building inspectors and Esperanza Unida.

With the finished repairs including new exit signs, Esperanza Unida building at 611 is expected to open its doors within days and tenants can return to business as usual. Esperanza Unida did an inspection of the water fire sprinkle system and discovered it wasn't operational and notified the city, according to Manuel "Manny" Pérez, the executive director of Ezperanza Unida.

Several Spanish language radio stations WJTI 1460 AM and 97.9 FM operated by El Sol Broadcasting, LLC are located at the Ezperanza Unida building and the city lock-out has made it difficult to continue operating by staff, but its automated air transmissions are operational, according to John Torres, the owner.

The Ezperanza Unida International building accepted an offer from Callan Shultz, of North Pointe Holdings ll LLC and President of Keystone Development from Oshkosh to sell in early June. The Oshkosh developer offered $1.3M and will invest a $7M project to convert the 611 building into a 55-unit apartment complex, according to Pérez.

The Oshkosh developer is expect to go public once the plans for the new apartment complex project are finalized.