Former Promises Building For Sale
Historic Walker's Point tavern priced at $895,000.
538 W. National Ave. Photo taken July 24, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
A historic Walker’s Point building is for sale following the January closure of its latest tenant, Promises.
Dieter Wegner owns the property, 726-734 S. 6th St., which has housed a series of taverns over the past decade, including Felipe’s Place and Gibraltar. The latter has since reopened in the Historic Third Ward.
Originally constructed in the 1890s, the Italianate-style building contains 7,428 square feet total, with a first-floor commercial space and upper-level apartments.
It’s priced at $895,000.
An online listing notes that the second-floor residential space is zoned as a rooming house. On the east side of the building, four studios share a full bathroom and kitchen. The western half features a larger apartment with a full bathroom, kitchen and balcony.
Also emphasized is the building’s “updated and restored” interior, exposed Cream City brick, loft space, vintage bar and ADA-compliant restrooms.
The previous tavern opened in July 2022 under co-owners and local musicians Joey “Turbo” Peterson and Casey Hughes. Part punk bar, part Packers pub, Promises was a one-of-a-kind addition to Milwaukee’s nightlife. In addition to frequent live music performances spanning a wide range of traditional and experimental genres, the bar also hosted special events such as pro wrestling trivia and Milwaukee-style Freaknik.
The corner tavern sits at the intersection of W. National Avenue and S. 6th Streets, part of the north-south business corridor that’s also home to Hotel Madrid, Zocalo Food Park, Last Rites, Camacho’s Bar and the soon-to-open Midwest SAD. National Avenue is scheduled to be reconstructed as a more pedestrian-friendly street.
For more on the building’s history, see our 2017 Bar Exam column.
In recent years, several modern apartment complexes have been built in the area, which remains a mix of both newer developments and older buildings. Also nearby, developer Braden Just plans to transform a 14,000-square-foot building at 607 S. 6th St. into apartments and commercial space.
For more information, or to schedule a showing, contact Walker’s Point Property at (414) 737-0366 or altec3333@yahoo.com.
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