Sherman Phoenix hosts 5th anniversary celebration while planning for future growth
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace on Milwaukee's north side celebrated its fifth anniversary with a party.
In 2016, buildings in the neighborhood burned during protests after a man was shot and killed by a former police officer. The Sherman Phoenix rose from those ashes.
Leaders say the marketplace's rebirth reflects the neighborhood's rebirth, and that success is here to stay.
Dr. Stacia Thompson is the executive director of the Sherman Phoenix Foundation. She told us, "Out of the ashes, the phoenix rises. To be able to turn tragedy into triumph is what the Sherman Phoenix has been able to do."
The vision for the marketplace may have been hard to see when buildings burned in 2016. For days, protests erupted after a man was shot and killed by a police officer near the intersection of 36th and Fond Du Lac.
But now it's a place of healing and gathering, a beacon of light in the community, according to Dr. Thompson.
"To continue to help businesses come here, be their first brick-and-mortar, to help them to grow and develop their business, and not just survive but thrive."
The marketplace currently hosts more than 25 Black-owned small businesses, employing more than 75 people. Tuesday's celebration included proclamations, music, drinks, and food.
The marketplace affords business owners like Tamesha Patrice an opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar store they otherwise may not have had.
Patrice owns Baked Dreams Bakery & Café. She said, "We started realizing that we had a really high, in-demand product. And not having a place for people to be able to come and get these things every day was just not becoming a good reality for us anymore."
The products sold within the marketplace are diverse: there are restaurants, coffeeshops, and bars; clothing, cupcakes, and candles for sale.
Patrice says the owners work together to foster success for the group. "Every way that we can figure out how to collaborate with each other, promote each other, advertise each other, work together, it just is best for everyone."
But the party was not held to just celebrate the accomplishments of the past five years, it was about plotting a course for success in the future.
In honor of the fifth anniversary, the Sherman Phoenix Foundation is encouraging people to donate in increments of $5, attend five events, or support five of the businesses.
The foundation also offers community programs, like a training hub and others.
Thompson said, "Group mental health sessions, we have monthly youth trap therapy, which is group mental health for the family, and we also have self-care Sundays, which is mental health support for veterans."
Click here to donate to the programs at the Sherman Phoenix Foundation.