MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man is building a neighborhood from scratch in the middle of the city.
Michael Emem, the owner of the Emem Group, is helping change Milwaukee one home at a time.
“The goal is to fill out every lot with a new home. Theres over 60 plus lots when we started this. We’ve built 6 homes that are all occupied, and we have three under construction," Emem said.
Those vacant lots are located around the 1600 block of North 21st street near Walnut Avenue. Emem is in the business of building neighborhoods. Not in a mass development sense, but in a responsible manner that fosters community.
“You see a lot of disparities in the communities particularly in Milwaukee because of the hyper segregation. And those disparities are reflective (sic) in the housing product, and what the neighborhoods look and feel like. So, I believe if you change the look and feel of the neighborhood, you can give people inspiration. You can give people hope," he said.
Emem has been building homes since he was a teenager. He said he built his first one when he was 18. Now the 35-year-old wants to improve communities through responsible development.
“Specifically targeting inner city developments is to introduce new homeownership opportunities to individuals who want to stay in this community specifically those of minority community," he said.
His newest construction is at 1631 N. 21st Street. It's a 4 bedroom, 2.5 baths, just under 2,000 square feet, and an attached garage.
However, this is part of the goal. Emem wants to attract a diverse set of people not just in terms of background, but he wants to bring professionals to the Lindsey Heights and Josey Heights neighborhoods. Qualified applicants can get a $30,000 grant from the city that can be put toward the home.
This home project is part of an initiative that was announced back in 2020. The city was selling plots of land for $1 hoping to encourage new homeownership.
"Will the city make a ton of money from selling dollar lots? No, but it's a long-term play. And it's about what (will) this neighborhood look like 10 years from now. 15, 20 years plus," Emem said in an interview with TMJ4 News in 2020.
There are multiple models of homes that prospective home buyers can choose from.
- TWO-STORY │1,724 SQ. FT. │3 BED │ 2.5 BATH │ 2-CAR GARAGE │ BASE PRICE: $247,900
- TWO-STORY │2,003 SQ. FT. │4 BED │ 3 BATH │ 2-CAR GARAGE │ BASE PRICE: $257,900
- TWO-STORY │2,031 SQ. FT. │4 BED │ 2.5 BATH │ 2-CAR GARAGE │ BASE PRICE: $279,900
“Every, you know, custom home that we design it’s our thing to always give them a name for civil rights heroes," Emem said.
He wants the foundations of these homes and soon-to-be neighborhoods built on the same principles that those civil rights leaders championed.
“There is a personal responsibility that I feel doing this work," he said regarding his skill set and since he grew up in the city.
Emem doesn’t just do residential homes. He is one of the groups helping build a medical complex on Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, he has built offices, and apartment complexes, and will help develop the new library and apartments on MLK Drive along with the new museum on 6th and McKinley.
