I live in a high-rise condominium on an upscale street on Milwaukee's lower east side. The street next to ours has a mixture of commercial and residential structures, which can be seen from the west windows of our building. Directly below is the Peck Rowhouse, built in 1883.

The Victorian building was the home of former governor George W. Peck, who wrote the 1893 novel Peck's Bad Boy. It is one of less than a dozen rowhouses left in Wisconsin and the only Queen Anne style rowhouse. It had been a rooming house for at least 20 years, but is now vacant.

A developer bought the property to turn it into luxury condominiums. After gutting the interior and running into problems with lead and asbestos, he claims he can no longer afford to adhere to the original plans. He has abandoned the renovation and has left the back of the structure exposed to the elements.

Now our alderman is going to obtain a raze order unless the developer makes substantial progress in cleaning up the site by April 1. Many in our building want the eyesore torn down. Some of us, however, feel that this historic structure should be saved. Please help.

Sincerely,
PJ Boylan

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