Overview

Out of the ashes of the 2016 civil disturbances in Sherman Park, The Sherman Phoenix emerged to address economic needs of its predominantly Black residents. The former BMO Harris Bank branch in the Sherman Park neighborhood was damaged in that summer's unrest and was repurposed into an entrepreneurial hub for community businesses through a partnership between Milwaukee co-developers Juli Kaufmann and JoAnne Sabir. The Sherman Phoenix was developed as a hybrid retail location to allow Black small business owners to grow their businesses, generate jobs, and support the local economy, yet it quickly became the heartbeat of the community. To harness the energy of the Sherman Phoenix, in 2020 the Sherman Phoenix Foundation was established to collaborate with leaders working to build inclusive and just economies for communities of color and provide services and opportunities that help people experience greater self-sufficiency, dignity, and hope for their lives. The Sherman Phoenix Foundation is committed to investing in the Sherman Phoenix and its tenants because we believe this is critical to the cultural and economic vibrancy of Sherman Park and Milwaukee as a whole.