The
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has sold a shuttered residence hall — the latest in a series of changes to the university’s campus aimed at cutting costs.
Purin Hall, a 17-unit residence hall at 2600 E. Kenwood Boulevard, was purchased by an affiliate of Milwaukee investor and developer
Thomas Schafer for $2.1 million, according to state records. The property has an assessed value of just $650,000, Milwaukee County records show.
Schafer, who operates
Bayside Development,
recently purchased a commercial condo at 2597 N. Downer Ave., where a new Pizza Man location is planned, and intends to purchase a vacant lot at 2560 N. Stowell Ave., where a new apartment building is planned, according to city documents. Schafer did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The three-story Purin Hall was built in 1955 as an apartment building and was purchased by UWM in 1963. It was most recently renovated in 1996, according to the university’s June request for purchase offers. The building, which has one- and two-bedroom student residences, has 21,500 square feet of total space, making it the smallest UWM residence hall.
The university closed Purin Hall at the end of the 2023 school year.
“The property has significant deferred maintenance, and future investment by the university or the state is unlikely,” the university’s request said.
UWM still operates Sandburg Residence Halls, which are located on campus and consist of four towers, as well as its three off-campus student housing options: Kenilworth Square Apartments, Cambridge Commons and RiverView Residence Hall.
The sale of Purin Hall comes as UWM and other UW System campuses have faced financial challenges due partially to enrollment declines, and UWM has looked for ways to reduce costs and divest itself of properties.
Over the past several years, UWM has worked to divest itself of other properties to help streamline space and reduce costs. In 2021, UWM sold its former Alumni House to Milwaukee businessman Andy Nunemaker. And in 2023, it demolished Northwest Quad Building A. The university also plans to demolish its old Chemistry Building, which had previously been slated for renovations for other purposes.
Last week, the former UW-owned chancellor's residence was sold for $1 million, according to state records.
