A young Milwaukee native and professional architect was approved today by the full Common Council to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) – that after he was nominated earlier this month to serve by Common Council President Cavalier Johnson.
Nicholas Hans Robinson, AIA, NCARB, will serve as one of the youngest and most diverse members ever to join the HPC. Mr. Robinson holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from UW-Milwaukee. He is a graduate of Milwaukee’s Bradley Tech High School.
The nomination of Mr. Robinson by President Johnson was the first such appointment under a new ordinance allowing the Common Council President to fill HPC vacancies not acted on by the Mayor within 90 days. Mr. Robinson is a registered architect and that distinction is required under city code. The vacant HPC seat had been in place since December 2020.
The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee unanimously recommended Mr. Robinson for approval on December 7.
President Johnson said Mr. Robinson, who at 33 is the youngest African American architect in Wisconsin, “will bring his own unique knowledge, lived life experience, and expertise” to the HPC. “It is my strong view that members of our boards and commissions reflect the richly diverse population of Milwaukee,” he said. “I am committed to ensuring that city decision making bodies are representative of our communities and have qualified persons at the table who can speak for the broader community with a diverse voice.”
“Mr. Robinson knows our city and brings a breadth of experience in handling complex projects as a professional architect. I am grateful that my colleagues approved his nomination so that he can serve the city where he was born and that he proudly calls home,” President Johnson said.
Mr. Robinson is Co-Founder/Principal Architect of DREAM Builders, a firm that has worked on numerous projects in Milwaukee, including the conversion of a former church to become the new home to non-profit Safe and Sound.
