Two Bay View housing developments, the conversion of a former funeral home to apartments and the construction of 6 duplexes, are planned.

Tom Daykin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The former Suminski Family Funeral Home in Bay View is being converted into 14 apartments.

Two housing developments, the conversion of a former funeral home to apartments and the construction of six duplexes, are planned for Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood.

The former Suminski Family Funeral Home, 2480-2486 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., would be transformed into 14 apartments under plans filed with the city Department of Neighborhood Services.

The three-story, 17,400-square-foot building was purchased in September for $875,000 by BV KK LLC, according to city assessment records.

That investment group is led by Shirley Konopski and Tim Olson, who couldn't be reached for more information.

Along with alterations to the building, the conversion plans call for an addition. 

The former funeral home was built in 1922 in the Mediterranean revival architectural style, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It operated for several years as the Niemann & Sons funeral home.

Other Bay View properties operated by Konopski and Olson include the former home of Bella's Fat Cat, 2737-2743 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

That property was part of site where developer Scott Lurie's 2019 proposal called for 200 apartments. Lurie later dropped those plans after they were opposed by nearby residents and then-Ald. Tony Zielinski.

Duplexes proposed for East Oklahoma Avenue in Bay View

Meanwhile, six duplexes are being proposed for 2501 E. Oklahoma Ave., according to plans filed with the department.

Those plans were filed by property owner Renew Bay View LLC, led by Scott Genke, who operates SG Property Development LLC and SG Property Management LLC. Genke couldn't be reached for more information.

Renew Bay View owns both the corner parcel, which has a small house, as well as an adjacent property at 2509 E. Oklahoma Ave. that has a smaller commercial building. Both structures presumably would be razed to make way for the new housing units.

Together, those two parcels total around 10,300 square feet, according to assessment records.

Genke's other Bay View developments include plans for a two-story, 30-unit apartment building at 2860 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.