Plan to close 4th Street for new Bucks arena might not be a slam dunk

City approval to convert one block of N. 4th St. into a plaza which connects the new Milwaukee Bucks arena with a new entertainment center might not be a slam dunk, based on comments made Wednesday by two Common Council members. The council’s Public Works Committee voted 5-0 to begin the city process which could result in the council approving the permanent closing of the street between W. Highland and W. Juneau avenues. But two committee members, Ald. Robert Bauman and Ald. Joe Davis, hinted at opposition to the proposal, which also is opposed by some nearby business operators and property owners. Davis said he noticed during a recent trip to Nashville, Tenn., that a street near that city’s downtown convention center was closed for a country music concert, but was otherwise kept open for traffic when events weren’t happening. “We do have an example down in Nashville that a public right of way can exist” in connection with street events, Davis said. “There is value to analyze things when council members come forward with ideas.” That was a reference to Bauman, committee chair. He has proposed closing the N. 4th St. block for Bucks games and other arena events, while otherwise keeping the block open for traffic. Bauman also says it’s important for the city to maintain ownership of that block to ensure it remains available for a planned future expansion of the city’s downtown streetcar service. If the block is closed, it would be given to the Wisconsin Center District, and then leased to the Bucks. At the committee meeting, Bauman said the upcoming proposal to close N. 4th St. would likely feature “extensive commentary and public testimony.” He said the Wednesday action was a noncontroversial decision to allow the Department of City Development to begin the process of proposing the street closing, which needs council approval. The council will likely review that proposal in a couple of months, Bauman said. After the meeting, Bauman said he remains opposed to closing the block. He also said the basketball club has yet to provide design details for the proposed plaza. Davis couldn’t be immediately reached for comment after the meeting. Department officials and the Bucks say closing the block is needed to better connect the arena with the entertainment center, and with N. Old World 3rd St. restaurants and taverns. That would make the arena area safer and more attractive for pedestrians, says Bucks President Peter Feigin. Mayor Tom Barrett‘s administration also says N. 4th St. traffic can be easily diverted to N. Old World 3rd St. and N. 6th St. The issue surfaced during the September debate over the city’s $47 million share of the $250 million public financing package for the $500 million arena, which will be built just north of the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The privately financed entertainment center will be built just east of the new arena, replacing a city-owned parking structure that will be given to the Bucks. In a compromise, Bauman dropped […]

Vel Phillips’ son files to run for judge in Milwaukee

Michael D. Phillips, the son of Milwaukee legal legend Vel Phillips, has filed to run for circuit judge next year, but said Monday he will not, setting his eyes instead on a possible run in 2017. For now, Phillips is registered as a candidate in Milwaukee County Branch 31, which became vacant when Daniel Noonan announced earlier this fall that he would retire effective Nov. 30. In a message, Phillips said that since filing he has reset his sights on 2017, when he expects there may be more seats opeing on the circuit bench. “That wiill give me a little more time to put my campaign together,” he said. “I think I got in a little too late for the 2016 race, as it turns out.” Phillips has run his own Milwaukee law office since 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile.  From June 2003 when he graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, until October 2011, he worked for the Wisconsin Education Association Council in Madison. Vel Phillips, 91, was the first African-American woman to serve on the Milwaukee Common Council. Later she became the first female circuit judge in Milwaukee and the first African-American judge in the state, and was elected secretary of state in Wisconsin in 1979.  She has been active in civil rights throughout her career, and has been a lecturer at various colleges and involved in others’ political campaigns. She is listed as treasurer of her son’s campaign for Branch 31. Hannah Dugan has already been running in that race. Gov. Scott Walker announced he would take applications from people interested in being appointed to fill the remainder of Noonan’s term, and could name an appointee this week.

GOP lawmakers circulate bill to block state money for Milwaukee streetcar

Republican state lawmakers are circulating a bill that would block state transportation money from being used to operate the Milwaukee streetcar. Three legislators — Reps. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum), Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake) and Cody Horlacher (R-Mukwonago) — announced theproposal Tuesday in an email seeking co-sponsors for the measure. “I am proud to support economic development and growth in the City of Milwaukee, and many of us did just that through our challenging Bucks arena vote earlier this year,” Kremer said in a statement. “The state transportation fund and rural, mass-transit issues are major concerns for my constituents… As such, I do not feel that taxpayers outside of the City of Milwaukee should be responsible for any future operational costs that may arise.” Kremer said he isn’t convinced the streetcar project will be sustainable and voiced concern about federal tax dollars from state residents being used to fund it. The proposal aims to prohibit the state from incurring any expenses associated with a commuter rail system. The email said it would essentially be an expansion of a provision in the 2015-17 state budget that created a transit safety oversight program. That measure was aimed at preventing a county containing a first-class city from incurring any expenses linked to the operation of a commuter rail system, unless that county would be fully reimbursed by the city. The bill would also say that projects resulting from the Milwaukee Downtown Transit Connector Study would not be eligible for operating assistance funds. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett could not be reached immediately for comment Tuesday.

Jane Matenaer named Gene Mueller’s co-host on WTMJ-AM (620)

Milwaukee radio veteran Jane Matenaer, who has been working as a fill-in anchor for several months on the WTMJ-AM (620) morning drive time show with Gene Mueller, was named permanent co-anchor of the program effective Tuesday. Matenaer joined WTMJ radio part time in May working in the news department. She is a well-known voice in Milwaukee radio the past three decades with previous engagements at WMYX-FM (99.1) and WDLB-FM (93.3). Pairing Mueller and Matenaer combines the experience of two broadcasters who have been waking up Milwaukee-area radio listeners since the mid-1980s, said Tom Langmyer, the station’s vice president and general manager. “Gene and Jane are both distinguished broadcasters who will share their knowledge of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, along with the great chemistry they’ve already developed together,” Langmyer said in a press release. The WTMJ co-anchor position has been open since Bonnie Petrie, who held the role briefly this summer, left the station. Prior to Petrie, Jodi Becker was Mueller’s co-anchor. Mueller took over as WTMJ morning show anchor in 2007 after co-hosting with Bob Reitman the morning show on sister station WKTI-FM (94.5) for 25 years. WTMJ and WKTI are owned by E.W. Scripps Co. of Cincinnati.

Milwaukee Ald. Willie Wade to retire at end of term

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announces bid for 4th term

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has officially launched his re-election bid. Barrett announced that he’s seeking a fourth term as mayor in a Tuesday morning email to supporters. “I wake up every day determined to make a difference for our city’s future,” the email reads. “We all know that Milwaukee has been through a lot. From the financial meltdown and Great Recession, to dealing with a Republican governor and Legislature intent on ignoring our needs. But we can’t let any of that stop us from making a difference.” Six others already have filed to run for the office, including Alds. Joe Davis and Robert Donovan. Donovan and other challengers have criticized Barrett on public safety issues, citing Milwaukee’s spike in homicides. In his announcement email, Barrett touted his economic and public safety efforts. “We should be proud of the things we’ve done to move Milwaukee ahead, from turning neighborhoods hit hard by the economic downturn into centers for revitalization — with five billion dollars of economic investment — to building up our neighborhoods and battling the scourge of gun violence,” he wrote. Barrett said that, if re-elected, he would continue working to create more family supporting jobs, giving young people more opportunities, building partnerships between police officers and neighborhoods, and “tearing down the barriers to better wages for families.” Barrett was first elected mayor in April 2004, and was re-elected with more than 70% of the vote in both 2008 and 2012. While he cruised to re-election as mayor in 2012, that same year he lost to Gov. Scott Walker in a historic recall race. Walker, who also beat Barrett in the 2010 governor’s race, became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall. Barrett recently signed the city’s 2016 budget, which holds the line on property taxes, and has been touting the burst of downtown development. But he’s also repeatedly said he wants downtown’s “renaissance” to spread to Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. “We all love this city. Every neighborhood. Every block,” Barrett wrote. “Working together we can continue our fight back and make Milwaukee the city we all know it deserves to be.”

Playing with Fire

n September 2012, a local film production and marketing firm called Flipeleven launched a Kickstarter campaign to blow up a car in Milwaukee, just like in the movies. The Downtown firm had won a prize from the international 48-Hour Film Festival that included a day’s use of a special camera frequently used in big-budget action flicks, and the idea was to film a fireball that both spotlighted Milwaukee’s creative potential and could be incorporated into a short film titled, mysteriously,The Nugget. Calling the whole thing “Love MKE. Blow Up a Car,” Flipeleven raised $10,081 from 96 backers in about a month. It seemed that automotive carnage would have its day. As promised, a 90s-era Ford Taurus exploded in an empty lot near the Sixth Street viaduct and the Iron Horse Hotel on a sunny day in October 2012. Flipeleven uploaded a snippet of the inferno to YouTube and joined with Newaukee to travel with other arts enthusiasts to Madison to lobby for arts funding and film incentives. The wintry excursion, carried out in March 2013, was dubbed the “Art Bomb WI.” And then… silence. The fires stayed dark until May 2014, when an update appeared on the project’s Kickstarter page, administered by Kyle Buckley, Flipeleven’s director of media. Under their Kickstarter terms of use, if the project didn’t materialize, they had to refund their backers. But the update was reassuring. “It took an incredibly long time,” it says, to reach the current stage of production, “partly because of our lobbying efforts and partly because we can only work on it after-hours.” A team of volunteers was working on colorizing the film and creating its soundtrack – final touches before The Nugget’s release. Still, several months went by with no film. When we contacted Flipeleven in mid-October of 2015 regarding The Nugget’s whereabouts, co-founder Justin Schnor said the DVDs had been printed, and they were “completing the logistics” of sending them to backers. Renamed Backfire, the 10-minute film depicts an unnamed Man and Woman (played by Milwaukee actors Chike Johnson and Malkia Stampley) who are attempting to flee a deranged Cop (Scotty Dickert) as he’s trying to abscond with the “Nugget” (a little girl played by Zaria Johnson). And yes, one of the important plot points involves Man and a certain exploding Ford Taurus. Schnor chalks up the most recent delay to turnover. And because “Love MKE. Blow Up a Car” has taken so long, Flipeleven planned to send out special packages to all 96 backers. These thank-you packages will supposedly include an exploding-car T-shirt, a copy of Backfire and a full refund. When will they go out? In October, we were told, “in a month or so.”

Historic restaurant and tavern plans a revamp

Maybe you’ve driven past Wally Schmidt’s. It’s a beautiful old brick building at 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave. And it used to be the home of a lively tavern – a neighborhood gathering spot where owner Wally Schmidt and his wife Bella would serve up crisp, warm fish fries on Friday evenings. Recent years haven’t been good to Wally Schmidt’s. The building itself has been empty for about five years, and vandals have disrespected the once lovely interior, leaving broken mirrors and trash in their wake. But it’s located in a neighborhood where residents care about the community and are working to restore it to its former vitality. Their efforts have garnered the attention of patrons like the Zilber Family Foundation, who helped neighbors and partners to enact a plan to enhance the neighborhood’s social, economic and physical conditions, including restoration of the commercial corridor along Fond du Lac Avenue, which is just blocks away from Downtown and the site of the new Bucks Arena. The neighborhood has also attracted the attention of developer Juli Kaufmann and co-developer Jeremy Davis, Lindsay Heights resident and environmental specialist at Walnut Way Conservation Corp., who have hatched a plan to restore the Wally Schmidt tavern to its former grandeur. What it could be Imagine that Wally Schmidt’s has been restored to its former glory. Its classic interior preserves much of what has gone before – including rich colored hex-tile floors, richly colored hardwood molding, wrought iron detail and leaded glass windows. And a beautiful open air courtyard just behind the building provides space for al fresco dining. It’s now a popular spot for neighborhood folks, Downtown residents and curious others who’ve heard that it’s the new “go-to” spot in Milwaukee. An experienced restaurateur is prepping things in the kitchen along with an eager protege who grew up in the neighborhood and has an earnest desire to give back through culinary work. The small menu (which could be a bit like a classic supper club, or maybe a wood-fired pizzeria or comfort food spot) focuses intently on locally grown foods, many of which come from local urban gardens. Part of its charm is that it’s been brought back to life by a community of people who’ve seen its potential – as well as the potential of the Lindsay Heights neighborhood – and committed to being part of its revitalization. The Wally Schmidt’s story Walter (Wally) Schmidt came from one of Milwaukee’s longest-running tavern-keeping families. Both his father and grandfather were in the business. And for 44 years, he and his wife Belinda (Belle) managed Wally Schmidt’s. Belle worked primarily in the kitchen, where she served up steak sandwiches and a popular Friday night fish fry (food became a means for income for many bars during prohibition). Meanwhile, Wally handled front of the house matters. Schmidt was a community guy, and he sponsored countless baseball, football, basketball and bowling teams over the years, along with boxing matches at the local Elks club. He was […]

Investor sues Will Allen’s Milwaukee venture as for-profit urban farm sprouts weeds

Urban farmer Will Allen — founder of the nonprofit Growing Power, author and “genius grant” winner — has become one of Milwaukee’s greatest exports, sharing his vision for growing and raising good community-based food. But his effort to leverage that success into a for-profit venture has so far produced little harvest and now has sprouted weeds in the form of a lawsuit from an investor. A Racine County woman claims her accountant, Thomas Schmitt of Greenfield, misled her into investing $200,000 in a company he and Allen started called Will Allen Farms LLC, a “loss-laden” start-up that Schmitt said would cut her tax bill immediately and possibly return capital gains in the future. Debra Hoyer’s timely investment would also help the company obtain $3 million in financing from a private equity firm, she claims she was told. Hoyer, a nurse who works in medical equipment sales, says Schmitt told her the company was developing an aquaponics farm at a former industrial laundry on Milwaukee’s near north side. But the site is now mostly an eyesore to neighbors, with little cleanup and no farming taking place. Hoyer’s lawsuit names both men and their company as defendants and seeks damages for her taxes, penalties and interest owed to the IRS, as well as the return of her $200,000. The defendants say Hoyer is just an investor who got cold feet and whose claims will now further hurt the business’ prospects. “We’re a properly organized corporation, operating legitimately,” Schmitt said. “You don’t cash out the company because one investor wants their money back.” He said Hoyer had legal counsel every step of the way and that her money is invested in Will Allen Farms, which he said has aquaponics up and running at rural sites in Indiana. The lawsuit is merely an attempt to “bootstrap” a complaint to Allen’s high profile, believing he would pay to avoid publicity, according to defense pleadings in the case. “Will Allen doesn’t deserve this,” Schmitt said. Allen said he never, as the suit contends, “authorized” Schmitt to make any misrepresentations to Hoyer. With Allen’s reputation and the popular, positive nature of his mission, you might think Will Allen Farms would have to turn investors away. But he and Schmitt said they don’t want people who will wind up owning the company, just investors who want to be involved. Hoyer was supposed to do marketing, they said, but never really got going. A judge’s decision on a defense motion to dismiss the suit is expected next month. Hoyer’s attorney, Chris Trebatoski, adamantly denied the suggestion that suing Allen was part of some extortion plot. “This is about damages, not to tarnish anyone with a lawsuit,” he said. “Growing Power is all over the place now. That’s a good thing for the city, but that’s not the issue. It’s this particular company and the string of LLCs that seem to change names every time someone asks ‘Hey, where’s the money?'” ••• At N. 10th St. and W. North Ave., […]

Historical Society could get cash first pitched for Marcus Center

Facility upgrades at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts are on hold, while repairs to the Milwaukee County Historical Society‘s downtown building could be proceeding — all fallout from the Marcus Center’s uncertain ownership picture. The state law that helps finance the new Milwaukee Bucks arena also calls for transferring ownership of the Marcus Center from Milwaukee County to the Wisconsin Center District, the public agency that will own the arena. The law sets no deadline for that property transfer. That explains why the Milwaukee County Board changed County Executive Chris Abele‘s proposed 2016 budget for the Marcus Center. Board members, saying they did not want to finance long-term improvements for a facility no longer under county control, removed $3.6 million Abele proposed for completing its heating and air conditioning improvements. The board instead set aside $1.6 million to help pay the county’s debt. The board also granted $2 million to the Historical Society for repairs to the crumbling cornice of its museum, 910 N. Old World 3rd St., which itself might be sold. Those changes, proposed by Supervisor Patricia Jursik, a member of the board’s Finance, Personnel and Audit Committee, are part of the recently approved $1.374 billion budget. The board also approved Abele’s proposal to subsidize the Marcus Center’s operations, but that $950,000 will be provided only as long as the facility is owned by the county. “The finance committee is not going to be funding institutions …if we have no oversight,” Jursik said. The Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., has been upgrading its heating and air conditioning systems since 2009, said Paul Mathews, president and chief executive officer. That work is being done in stages to avoid closing the facility, which is rented by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet and other groups. The final phase was to be completed in 2016. The delay will not cause any comfort issues for the building’s patrons, Mathews said. But it will mean a lag in achieving cost reductions that come with fully upgraded systems, he said. The $2 million for the Historical Society is for the first phase of the $4.1 million cornice repair project. Jursik said the additional funds to continue that project could be provided in the 2017 county budget. The Beaux Arts building, built in 1913 as a bank, now houses the society’s museum and research library. The county owns the building and is responsible for the cornice and other exterior repairs. The building is leased to the nonprofit society, which is responsible for interior maintenance. The society and the county worked together on $5 million in renovations — including new windows, heating and air conditioning equipment, plumbing fixtures and electrical systems — from 2008 through 2010, said Randy Bryant, Historical Society board president. “It really is one of the jewels of county real estate,” Bryant said. However, in 2011, damage to the cornice was discovered. Bryant said it was apparently the result of a 1989 roof project in which workers improperly drilled […]

Pastry chef sees dream of owning cafe in reach

Molly Sullivan fell in love with pastry as a student in Paris. Desserts were everywhere, and the delicious displays always caught her attention. Putting her sociology degree on the back burner, the Wauwatosa native came home and studied pastry at the Art Institute in Minneapolis. Finding a fit for her love of local and fresh ingredients, she works full-time as a pastry chef at Braise, 1101 S. 2nd St., the same kitchen where she also runs Miss Molly’s Pastries, her 4-year-old wedding cake and dessert catering business. Sullivan’s current favorite desserts for weddings are hand-held treats and bite-size pastries. She loves creating tables with something for everyone, from cupcakes and French macarons to brownies, cheesecake bites and little tarts. Big dreams When I was little, I knew I wanted to own a cafe. I don’t know where that came from at 8 years old, but I have always wanted to be a business owner. Baking as a business Desserts are a happy thing. People associate really great memories with baking. Baking professionally, it is a whole different game. The job is very physically demanding. Any restaurant work is. You’re on your feet, literally running around. You’re in a room with ovens going all day, hot and sweaty. It is not glamorous. Ingredient she loves I do a lot of all-purpose flour, but I use flour from Lonesome Stone Milling. It still has the germ and a lot of the grain in the flour, and there is a real difference. I had to adjust for it, because it is a lot richer and it browns items a lot more quickly. Lessons learned Any time I make a mistake, I learn. When I was just starting out, someone asked me to do a wedding cake. I knew them. It was probably one of my first wedding cakes. I know in my heart it was not what she wanted, but it was a huge learning curve for me. After that point, I never sign up for something I can’t do well. If someone wants something and I don’t feel comfortable, I tell them. Maybe they want a fondant cake with gum paste flowers or something. I don’t do fondant. It is just not something I am interested in. I recommend other places. Her cake creations My approach is really just natural ingredients and everything is from scratch. I use Italian meringue buttercream for my cakes. My cakes, I call them rustic chic or simple elegance. I also make everything from real fruit. I make jams and use those as fillings. This summer I went kind of nuts picking strawberries for a couple weeks and made a lot of strawberry jam. I use it for fillings, and I’ll puree it and make a mousse. It is all about flavors, and fresh fruit is always going to taste better than flavoring from a bottle. Talking trends There’s definitely a fling toward just getting creative with wedding desserts. A lot of people are opting for a […]

A People on the Move Spotlight

Long Fu has been named vice president of engineering at PDS (Paragon Development Systems), Brookfield. Fu comes to PDS from Aerohive Networks, a Silicon Valley startup company where he played a leading role in developing revolutionary cloud networking solutions. He answered a few questions for the Milwaukee Business Journal. What attracted you to this new opportunity:“There are two major reasons for me to join PDS. One is its strategy and vision to make the company a leader of technology and innovation. The other is the team. With talent from institutions such as MIT and Harvard, and with direct interaction with our customers, we will have the best products/solutions in the industry to serve our customers.” Thoughts on your position:“PDS has a great history of reinventing itself in the past, and we are doing it again to transform the company as a leader of technology and innovation. It is an exciting time to be part of PDS.” First job:“First job was at Bell-Northern Research (BNR) as a member of its scientific staff. It was a great company to work for and an excellent place to learn telecommunication.” Career advice:“Follow your passion, and your passion will lead to unthinkable opportunities.” Personal hero:“My grand-uncle, who was selfless and helped so many less-fortunate students from abroad to achieve their American dreams” Last book read:“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries Person you would most like to meet:“Mark Zuckerberg, who sparked the social networking revolution, and is a very generous philanthropist” Family:“My lovely wife, Shunhui, and son, Eric Fu” Favorite vacation spot:“Rome, Italia, for history, food and weather” Most meaningful accomplishment:“Joined an early stage startup, and took the startup to IPO in 2014 as part of the executive team.” Favorite film:“Spider-Man” Favorite Milwaukee restaurant: Harbor House Likes about Milwaukee:“The friendly people, beautiful lakefront and clear four season weather” What you most like doing in your free time:“Riding a bike by the lake and spending time with my family”