It was nearly seven years ago that we first brought the W.G. Schweiker building at 2621 W. Jefferson St. to your attention, noting at the time that it was listed for sale for $80K (too high a price, at the time!). The building caught our eye because it had spectacular bones and a particularly memorable cornice. This makes sense, as the business that once occupied the building was a roofing and construction business that specialized in cornices, along with skylights, heaters, and ranges. We were hopeful, at the time, that whoever bought the building would be able to renovate it and maintain some of its unique original details.

So we were very excited, soon after, when we learned that MM Partners had purchased the building and was working on a renovation plan to convert the building into an artist live/work space. Ultimately though, those plans never came to fruition and the property sold to new owners in 2017, trading at $260K (amazingly, a rather fair price just a few years later). Soon after, we learned that the new owners were also looking to renovate the existing building, with a residential conversion on the horizon. We don’t know what changed, but looking at the current state of the building and the permits from a couple months ago, it seems that the building and the associated warehouse to the north are both getting demolished. Already, the warehouse is almost all gone.

It’s a little strange to see the cornice intact, sitting on the ground across the street from the property. The fact that the demo contractor didn’t smash it up gives us a sense that it will be preserved and reused somewhere, though it’s probably not a good idea to leave it sitting around on the ground for very long.

As for what will replace the Schweiker building, there are no permits just yet, but we expect an apartment building of some kind, as the property is zoned for multi-family use. You can pretty much bet your life though, that the new building won’t compare to what’s getting demoed. It’s a shame that we’re losing this unusual building that has been sitting neglected for so many years. If you’d like to catch a last glimpse of the building before it disappears, we suggest hightailing it to Brewerytown sooner rather than later.