Two years ago, Ryan Rosmann left his job as a sous chef at The Knick restaurant in downtown Milwaukee to pursue his dream of recording and producing music.
He started a business, Hi-Five Studio, out of his Cedarburg home so he could get the company off the ground while spending time with is newborn son.
The company has taken off and Rosmann, 34, recently purchased a 4,840-square-foot, 101-year-old building at 3276 N. Weil St., located just west of North Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee’s Riverwest Neighborhood, to relocate and grow the business.
“We’ve outgrown the current space, which is the impetus for the move,” Rosmann said. “I record a lot of bands from Riverwest and it seems like a cool, artsy, eclectic area that is well suited for what I was looking for.”
According to city records, the property was owned by Patrick and Michelle Cloud, of Whitefish Bay. It was purchased by Rosmann for $290,000. The property is assessed by the city of Milwaukee for $243,000. Cory Sovine, of Colliers International Wisconsin, represented Rosmann in the transaction.
Hi-Five Studios provides recording, mixing, voice over and CD duplication services. Hi-Five also offers artists studio time to record their own music.
The building has been commercially operated since 1945, and Rosmann is working with the city of Milwaukee to rezone the building for his use.
Rosmann, who graduated with a degree in 2004 in recording arts, has also hired Indianapolis-based Haverstick Designs to design the studio.
“We’re pretty excited about moving forward,” Rosmann said. “I’ve spoken to neighbors and the alderman and they feel like this is a good thing for the neighborhood.”
