Milwaukee community leader Lamarr Franklin dies at 80 as $16 million housing project carries his name

A longtime North Side civic figure

Lamarr Franklin, a longtime Milwaukee community leader identified with North Side revitalization efforts, has died at age 80. Franklin was widely known for decades of neighborhood work focused on economic development, youth mentorship and community-building events tied to the King Drive corridor and surrounding areas.

Franklin’s death comes as a major affordable-housing development bearing his name has moved from years of planning into a completed project, creating a prominent, permanent marker of his involvement in neighborhood institutions and development initiatives.

Housing development: cost, scale and mix of units

The LaMarr Franklin Lofts is a $16 million, five-story apartment and retail development at 3317 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The building includes 55 residential units, combining affordable and market-rate apartments, along with street-level commercial space intended to support neighborhood-serving retail.

Project planning began years earlier under the working name “Five Points Lofts,” with fundraising efforts starting in 2020. Construction broke ground in February 2024 and was completed in 2025. The development team included the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation as owner, working with KG Development Group and a broader professional team of construction and design firms.

• Location: 3317 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee
• Total apartments: 55 units
• Project cost: $16 million
• Timeline: fundraising began in 2020; groundbreaking in February 2024; completion in 2025

Franklin’s civic footprint

Franklin’s work was closely tied to institutions and programs focused on strengthening Milwaukee’s North Side. He helped launch the MLK Economic Development Corporation and served for decades with Northcott Neighborhood House, an organization that provides community services and programming for families.

He was also connected to longstanding neighborhood events that draw residents and visitors to the area. Among them was the Garfield Avenue festival, which grew from a small, early event into a large annual gathering on the North Side.

Franklin was remembered by family and community partners as a consistent presence in neighborhood work, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for residents and encouraging younger generations to engage in civic life.

What the Lofts represent for the corridor

The LaMarr Franklin Lofts adds new housing supply along King Drive while pairing apartments with ground-floor commercial space—an approach frequently used in corridor redevelopment strategies that aim to support both residents and small businesses. With the building completed, the project now stands as both a housing asset and a symbol of the civic networks Franklin helped sustain over decades of neighborhood change.