Over the past couple of years I have followed the redevelopment of the former Pabst Brewery intently.  The project is under the control of Joseph Zilber, who is taking each building determined salvageable and getting it into the hands of another developer who will fully redevelop the building.

Zilber and his company, Towne Realty, are to-date doing a phenomenal job of assembling a group of developers to build a diverse, mixed-use neighborhood.  This should ensure that the neighborhood is not only a functional part of the city, but safe 24 hours a day for pedestrians.

If you’ve ever walked around Schlitz Park at night, you’ll immediately notice this is something that has yet to be achieved (that project is far from complete though, so all hope is not lost).

It’s genuinely exciting to see someone as rich and powerful as Joseph Zilber not only committed to rebuilding a Milwaukee landmark, but not turning it into a single-use silo.  He could have probably attracted a corporate tenant to occupy a large portion of the complex and made a killing building a complex for them that was largely unusable by the rest of the city.  Instead of building a silo, Zilber is artfully constructing a new neighborhood that will not only connect with the neighborhoods around it, but encourage them to grow.

With all the positive I have just spoken, I do have a few concerns over the number of buildings being torn down.  Certainly some of them had to go (large windowless structures built cheaply by Pabst), but a few of them from the outside appeared to be buildings worthy of saving.  It’s especially sad when they’re being replaced for surface parking.  A wonderful neighborhood of cream city brick buildings should not be poisoned with the ugliness of a surface parking lot.

I’ve been taking pictures over the past couple of years, and decided I should start to examine before and after shots to get a real look at what progress is being made.

Image #1 - Building 10 (former Boiler House), Building 14 (former R&D lab) and Building 15 (former grain silos)

Notes:

• The first photo is from November 20th, 2006, the second is from May 8th, 2008.
• There is a building missing in the second image.  That building is building 11, the former dry house built in 1894.  It’s one that I think was unfortunate was removed.  It will be replaced with a surface parking lot, which I think is a shame.  According to The Daily Reporter it had a collapsed roof and floor damage that would have cost at least $250,000 to being considering repair.  I would have been okay with it coming down, it’s just upsetting it’s becoming a parking lot.
• Alderman Bauman originally opposed eliminating the building if it was replaced with a surface parking lot.  He stayed true to his word and was the only alderman to vote against it (voting in both committee and in the Common Council).  It’s a shame they couldn’t get a constraint to get green space built there.
• Obviously the smokestack is gone from the former boiler house (building 22 built in 1948).  The building didn’t have the historical look of many of the buildings around it, wasn’t made of cream city brick, and adds a ton of value to the buildings around it by exposing them to natural light for the first time in years.  They saved the brick from the smokestack that contained the legendary “PABST” white letters, but the rest of that building won’t be missed.

Image #2 - Building 1 (former Tank Storage building 902 W. Juneau Ave), Building 4 (former Stock House, 1217 N. 9th Street) and Building 8 (former barrel storage house, 1233 N. 9th Street)

Notes:

• The first photo is from March 12th, 2008, the second from May 8th, 2008.
• These buildings are part of a group of six (three are behind these) being removed to create space for the parking structure.  Zilber and company were originally going to save the facades to create a shell for the parking structure, but the buildings weren’t in good enough shape to safely complete that (according to reports).
• They were demolished partially because they were not in the condition to be used for any other uses (outside of a parking garage shell).   While I would agree with this for most of the buildings in this group, Building 4 and Building 8 appear to have enough windows to be useful.  Perhaps they were the most structurally damaged, or the sides attached to other buildings were going to be able to be remade.
• What I wish would have happened (considering my limited knowledge of the situation and guesstimate of economic costs), would be that they would have demolished the four other buildings and kept buildings 4 and 8.  They could have used the extra cream city brick from other demolitions to rebuild the sides of buildings 4 and 8.  I’m guessing this was not economically or physically feasible.
• This is the largest group of buildings destroyed for the project and unfortunately a big part of what gives the complex it’s industrial feel.  I really hope the parking garage looks great.

Image #3 - Building 10 (former Boiler House) and Building 15 (former grain silos)

Notes:

• The first photo is from March 12th, 2008, the second from May 8th, 2008.
• Restoration work is clearly well underway with Building #10.  The promises of Albion Group Architects moving in by the end of 2008 by Boiler House, LLC building (Charles Trainer and Max Dermond) seem pretty reasonable at this point.
• Good to see the cream city brick being cleaned up (this is visible on the Gorman Company’s Blue Ribbon Loft Apartments just around the corner in building 9 too).  This is really going to change the view of the area from a distance.
• The billboard on the grain silos is sad to see.  I’m perfectly okay with it, if it is a temporary thing until the project is completed.  It would be sad to see it there long-term because I think it really damages the industrial feel of the area and cheapens the feel of the area.

Overall, everything going on at “The Brewery” is really exciting.  Sure, some buildings are coming down that will be missed, but it’s worth it to see the rest of the complex restored.  Zilber should be applauded for making this project happen, as should Alderman Robert Bauman for planting this idea in Zilber.

Long-term this redevelopment is going to create an area that respects and honors Milwaukee’s brew city image and integrates that history into Milwaukee’s growing urban cityscape.  I’m especially happy to see a lot of architect Otto Strack’s work preserved as it is a true Milwaukee treasure.

In ten years when construction is long-since finished (hopefully here and at Schlitz Park), the cream city brick so dominant in the build
ings around downtown Milwaukee will be one of the things that sets the Cream City apart from the rest of the cities of the Fresh Coast that are becoming increasingly homogenous as globalization accelerates.

Milwaukee Skyline
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

Milwaukee County intends to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a Park East corridor plot of land on the western end of the reclaimed land, near the former Pabst brewery.

With developments finally getting off the ground on formerly RFP’ed plots on the eastern end of the corridor, and redevelopment moving full speed ahead at The Brewery it seems logical to move forward at this time and put another plot up for sale. The proposed plot is the one east of 6th Street, north of West Winnebago Street, and south of McKinley Avenue.

On the flip side, Robert Ruvin had a harder time securing a loan for his development inbetween 3rd and 4th Streets after the market began to turn. Construction hasn’t even started there yet, and a demo unit is in the works to begin condo sales starting in April.

Is it therefore logical to put the chance of another development on the market and potentially damage development going on on other parcels? Yes, well it would be great if the county could let every development get to 100% before triggering another I think it’s important to continue to grease the wheels for other developments to get off the ground.

Plus, in all reality by the time the county put out the RFP, it’s going to be at least two years before construction even breaks ground. That will give other developments plenty of time to sell units..

The worst thing that could happen is the current credit crunch could toward around, and for the downtown area to be caught with a lack of available units and development going on. If people want to move downtown, and it appears they do, the county and city should continue to encourage developers to get projects off the ground that produce urban infill and add to the strength of downtown. They’ve done a good job of that so far, and I hope they don’t pull this sale in the event of a market downturn.

I expect that further development in the corridor is only going to accelerate the pace of sales and leasing of space, and increase the amount of developers wanting to put up buildings. It’s hard to sell someone on living next to a bunch of gravel lots, but it’s going to be ease to sell them on living amongst a lot of new, pedestrian-friendly developments within walking distance of the city’s best assets.

The Pabst Brewing Complex
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

Jim Haertel, president of Brew City Redevelopment Group LLC, is excited to finally see his dream coming to fruition. Haertel, who I’ve mentioned before owns a group of former Pabst brewery office buildings that are part of the complex that Joseph Zilber is redeveloping.

Haertel is a name many in Milwaukee may remember as one of the leaders behind the original plans to turn the brewery in PabstCity, a nightlife and entertainment district. That plan ultimately died as a result of the Common Council not giving Wispark public money to develop the area, because of concerns of its long-term viability. Haertel was promised the Blue Ribbon Hall office buildings as part of the deal with his financing partner Wispark LLC.

He was given the buildings by Wispark upon their sale of the complex to Zilber and his Brewery Project LLC, and just recently in December settled a lawsuit with Wispark. Terms of the settlement weren’t released, and I haven’t heard rumor of what they might be.

Development is moving at a fast pace at the complex now (pictures coming soon). Fulfilling Haertel’s dream for the site, Blue Ribbon Hall and the surrounding office buildings will turn into the Museum of Beer and Brewing and Hofbrauhaus Milwaukee. Construction will begin next year, and everything will open in February of 2010.

The reason for the delay? Haertel wants to wait for construction across Juneau Avenue to finish. The buildings just across the street (former keg houses) are being removed and replaced with a parking garage (more on that later).

Personally, I’m excited about the long-term prospects for this area. I really think overall there are a lot of really good things going on over at The Brewery.  Early developments such as the Hofbrauhaus are going to set a great tone for the surrounding area developments still to come.

Pabst Farm Sunset
Originally uploaded by obrazu

Loyal readers, I apologize on not keeping you up-to-date with the latest in white flight trends… that being the development of Pabst Farms. The last time I reported on Pabst Farms, they (Pabst Farms Development Inc) were announcing that a new developer, Developers Diversified Realty, to create the sprawl mall.

Developers Diversified Realty announced their plans almost two months ago (yes, I’m playing catch up).

What did it include? Nothing special. Everything is focused around the interstate. They’re touting an "attractive entrance" as a giant sign that reads "Pabst Farms Oconomowoc" when you get off the interstate, and some landscaped, unnatural grass.

It’s really a shame that the use of the Pabst name here will taint the image of the real development happening at the old Pabst brewery on the edge of urban Milwaukee.

Old World 3rd St just west of the Milwaukee River is going to be home to a new restaurant or two and another tavern.  I’ll break them down location by location.

Robert Ruvin, who has yet to start construction on any of his nearby developments, will have a new high-end restaurant opening in his Third Street Pier building in March.  Kincaid’s Fish, Chip and Steak House will occupy the space previously occupied by the Third Street Pier restaurant and give you everything the title indicates for a pretty penny.

A development that is drawing opposition from other businesses on the street is Bootleggers.  A sister tavern of another two-story tavern in downtown Minneapolis, the place will feature live bands, a dance floor, and an outdoor patio.  Other tavern owners on the street voiced their concern through their lawyer who said that Bootleggers will bring "price wars, cheap liquor and bad behavior on the street."  Alderman Bauman supported giving Bootleggers a liquor license, but has expressed concern about the establishment’s potential to be disorderly.  Coming to the aid of Bootleggers, the Minneapolis Police Department submitted a letter of recommendation.  Both a dance and tavern license were ultimately issued at the January 15th Common Council meeting, meaning the tavern’s opening is all but for-sure.

Bootleggers hopes to be open by June.

The most interesting of the developments is the Milwaukee Brat House.  Led by entrepreneur Jack Schaefer, the Brat House will be an old-world German tavern and hopes to be open by March.  The tavern will serve food at both lunch and dinner.

Why is this so interesting?  Because it continues the trend of turning West Town into Little Munich.  A place where Germans can come to and feel right at home, and where Wisconsinites can go to celebrate their heritage.  To start things off right on Old World 3rd Street is the Old German Beer Hall and Mader’s Restaurant.  Over at The Brewery (the Pabst Brewery redevelopment project) there is the proposed Hofbrauhaus Milwaukee in the old Blue Ribbon Hall.

Another reason to be excited about the Milwaukee Brat House is that finally you’ll have a place to take your family and friends to enjoy a delicious bratwurst.  Sure, you can get a brat at a lot of places around Milwaukee, but the brat is just an after thought on the menu.  I don’t want to go to a big fancy restaurant to get a bratwurst, I want to go sit at a table somewhere and look at a menu that is dominated by the notion of the bratwurst.  Plain and simple, feed me delicious meat.

I can’t wait to try out the new places on Old World Third Street, some before others as my wallet allows.

Random tidbits found on the internets…

• Milwaukee Development Update brings us news and insight of a building going up at 1530 North Jackson just north of the Pick ‘N’ Save parking lot and Lyon St.  Despite living just around the corner from it, I have yet to make it over to take pictures, but look forward to doing that following my return to Milwaukee.
• Milwaukee Development Update also has changed addresses going from milwaukeedevelopment.blogspot.com to www.mkedevelopment.com.
• The Brewery Project LLC, led by Joseph Zilber, officially closed their first sale.  While numerous deals have been announced or rumored, Milwaukeeans Charles Trainer and Max Dermond have purchased the 55,000-square-foot Building 10 together as Boiler House LLC.  They’re saying Albion Group Architects will move into the building by the end of 2008 and that a big announcement is coming in January of 2008.
• The Spawl-fueled Pabst Farms mall plans are back up and running with announcement of Developers Diversified Realty Corp as the new developer.  They’re still planning to open Pabst Farms Town Centre by 2010.

Links from the Milwaukee-informationsphere

• Mary Louise Schumacher is yet another art person doesn’t think it’s a good idea to build a recognize landmark that will increase pedestrian traffic in downtown Milwaukee.
• Hofbrauhaus Milwaukee, a proposed German beer hall and restaurant, is likely coming next The Brewery development at the old Pabst brewery in Blue Ribbon Hall after the settlement of a lawsuit involving Brew City Redevelopment LLC with the complex’s former owners, WisPark LLC. The article makes no mention of the existing Old German Beer Hall and how urban Milwaukee is delightfully reinventing itself more in the fashion of a city like Munich, Germany.
• Robert Kern, of Generac fame and fortune, is powering a change in the way the state handles engineering education through his foundation (Kern Family Foundation). Two urban Milwaukee schools are at the center of this in MSOE and Marquette, through the recruitment of Project Lead the Way students form high schools and their participation in KEEN (Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network). Urban Milwaukee would like to applaud the efforts of Robert Kern for his visionary leadership in truly investing in the future of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the entire Fresh Coast economy and education system.
• The Journal Sentinel takes a look at how you can reduce your power consumption and what effects it will have. Absolutely worth your time to read.
• Dave Reid takes a look at the Kane Commons development and gives us a construction update of the Breakwater Condos and The Residences on Water.

Old Machines
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

I was poking around The Brewery website after writing the last post on Mark Chumura and friends purchasing Building 14 and found that Towne Realty has released a video synopsis of the coverage surrounding the initial groundbreaking of the development. It’s a neat little video to watch about the start of the redevelopment project.

NOTE: I suggest right-clicking and watching the video in full screen. The viewing size they give you is really small and has some annoying broken HTML surrounding it.

Pabst Brewery
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

Former Green Bay Packer Mark Chumura, his brother and real estate broker Matt Chumura, and, developer and son of former Milwaukee Brewer Sal Bando, Sonny Bando through their development firm BC Pabst Holdings have purchased a three-story, 28,000 square foot building at the former Pabst Brewery on the edge of the Park East neighborhood. The building previously known as Building 14 was used for Pabst research and development.

Chumura and company are already lining up tenants for the office building and may open a conference center in the 1,200 square foot penthouse that has skyline views. The tenants are apparently interested in the access the building provides to traffic from Interstate 43. We at Urban Milwaukee hope someday it’ll be able to leased based on the vibrancy of the neighborhood it’s in.

I was surprised to learn that not only does the sports-supported triumvirate own this building, but they also together own the Germania Building at 135 W. Wells St. and the Iron Block Building at 200 E. Wisconsin Ave in downtown Milwaukee.

So much for jock stereotypes, these three appear dedicated to urban redevelopment of historic developments.

I’m happy to see their on-board with the Pabst Brewery redevelopment, which is undoubtedly going to serve as a catalyst for redevelopment of the rest of the Park East neighborhood.

The Small Business Times and the Journal Sentinel each have stories on the purchase.

NOTE: The building purchased is pictured in the attached image. It is the short building partially cut off on the left-hand side. If you have a better image, let us know.

A Milwaukee County Transit System Bus
Originally uploaded by Sebastian Joseph

While County Executive Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett continue to debate over the use of the $91.5 million the federal government has earmarked for transportation, entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Michael Cudahy has proposed his own solution.

Walker advocates an express-bus only approach, while Barrett advocates a system that utilizes downtown streetcars and express buses to expand the area. Cudahy advocates a plan that uses only streetcars.

When it comes to quality of service and area covered, Cudahy’s proposal is the best. The first would resemble the 30 bus route, but ultimately head west towards the County Grounds (where UWM plans to build their new engineering campus) after meeting up with Marquette. The second would link the redeveloped Milwaukee Intermodal Station (formerly Amtrak) with MATC, The Brewery (Pabst Redevelopment), and head up Fond du Lac Ave to North Ave.

When it comes to getting people to work from the central city and linking urban dwellers with surrounding areas, Cudahy’s plan seems the one most likely to generate long-term success. The only weakness is the apparent lack of a southern spur from downtown, but the proposed KRM solution would cover the gaps.

I definitely support a sales-tax funding source as long as there is a long-term growth strategy including the addition of stops along Fond Du Lac Ave, west towards (and into) Waukesha County, and north into the northern suburbs.

A light-rail streetcar system is far more marketable as a sales piece for relocating businesses and residents, and tourists coming to the city.

Cudahy’s proposal best utilizes previous investments (Grand Ave Mall, Midwest Airlines Center, UWM, Marquette, County Grounds), while linking with new high-growth areas (The Brewery and Park East Neighborhood) and providing a reason for logical redevelopment of some previously less-attractive areas (Fond du Lac Avenue).

Hopefully Mayor Barrett jumps on board behind the Cudahy proposal and Walker eventually comes on board.