Outpost store, juice bar part of Walnut Way’s North Ave. development
Walnut Way Conservation Corp. has long worked to improve the collective health of its central city neighborhood through projects such as planting community gardens, transforming a vacant lot into a small park and offering yoga classes. Now, the nonprofit group is completing its first venture into commercial development: a small Outpost Natural Foods store, juice bar and commercial kitchen on Milwaukee’s north side. The new Outpost store anchors a renovated and expanded 6,000-square-foot, two-story building at 1615-1617 W. North Ave. That building is the first phase of Walnut Way’s project, known as Innovation and Wellness Commons. Along with providing additional healthy food and beverage choices, the development could help draw more investment to one of Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods. Around half the commercial space on W. North Ave. between I-43 and roughly N. 27th St. is vacant, said Sharon Adams, Walnut Way director of programs. “We found we could do this,” Adams said about Innovation and Wellness Commons. “We could change this, so this would be a catalytic spur.” The 675-square-foot “pop-up” Outpost store is a pilot project. Its sales performance will help Outpost’s board determine whether the cooperative should build a larger, conventional grocery on a parking lot next to the renovated building, at 1609 W. North Ave., said Margaret Mittelstadt, Outpost community relations director. The typical Outpost grocery is 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. If the cooperative decides to build a larger store, it could anchor the second phase of Innovation and Wellness Commons, a building with around 10,000 to 12,000 square feet within two to three stories, Adams said. Adams said the second phase would include wellness services, such as acupuncture, massage therapy and classes in such activities as yoga and body movement. The group now provides some of those classes at its nearby, cramped Walnut Way Center, 2240 N. 17th St. Walnut Way is starting to raise funds for the second phase, which would cost roughly $4 million to $5 million, Adams said. Financing for the $2.2 million first phase of Innovation and Wellness Commons included a $600,000 federal grant, secured through the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp., a Milwaukee nonprofit group; a $413,750 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. grant; and a $50,000 city grant. Additional funds were raised from foundations and individual contributions, Adams said. The first phase is expected to create 20 jobs for low-income residents, according to a Department of City Development report. It redeveloped a former tavern building that was built in 1900 and last used as a private social club known as Park’s Place, which closed around four years ago. Walnut Way initially considered demolishing the former tavern and creating a new building in its place, Adams said. But renovating the building, she said, sends a better message to neighborhood residents. “You have value,” Adams said. Grand opening next week The Outpost store opened Oct. 14, with the project’s first phase having its grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Oct. 30. The Outpost grocery features fresh fruits and vegetables, including speckled pears […]
Oct 20th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Rockwell’s Crandall joins Rexnord board of directors
Rexnord Corp. said Monday that Theodore Crandall, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation Inc., has joined the Rexnord board of directors and will serve on the board’s audit committee. Crandall has been CFO of Rockwell (NYSE: ROK), a manufacturer and provider of industrial automation systems and software, since 2007. He also has experience in various management positions at Rockwell and at other companies. Rexnord president and CEO Todd Adams said Crandall is expected to be a valuable resource to the Rexnord board as the company looks to grow in the future. Milwaukee-based Rexnord (NYSE: RXN) is a manufacturer of mechanical components and a designer and producer of water management products through its Zurn subsidiary.
Oct 20th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Bernard Peck remembered for philanthropy, public service — and clowning
In 1986, when he was vice president of the meatpacking company that bore his great-grandfather’s name, Bernard J. Peck wrote a newspaper piece on a topic he knew better than just about anyone else: philanthropy. “Philanthropy,” he wrote, “brings meals to the elderly, gives dignity to the handicapped, supports research into devastating diseases, locates new jobs for displaced workers, teaches self-esteem to teens, or shows young mothers how to be good parents, and much more. “In short, philanthropy brings quality of life to our citizens, generating a community of pride.” Peck, who was 88 when he died Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was as good as his word. Born in Milwaukee, Peck began working for Peck Meat Packing Corp. while studying at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Despite his pedigree, Peck started out on the kill floor and the hide cellar. Over the next 40 years, the company flourished under Peck’s guidance. The family purchased Ideal Packing Co. and built a boning plant in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley. Six more acquisitions created the 40-acre Peck Meat Packing complex. In time, Peck was responsible for managing operations in three states, with 800 employees in Milwaukee and 1,500 employees overall. The company was sold to Sara Lee Meat Group in 1985, and Peck continued as the company’s executive vice president/chief operating officer. He retired in 1987 — 100 years after the company was founded. Peck was a gifted businessman. And he was the consummate public servant. He held leadership positions in the Rotary Club; Music for Youth; the Milwaukee Ballet; Zoological Society of Milwaukee; Second Harvest of Wisconsin; Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee; Easter Seals; Marcus Center for the Performing Arts; Alverno College; Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Karl Jewish Community Campus; The Great Circus Parade; the Milwaukee Jewish Home Foundation Inc.; the PAL/Police Athletic League; and United Cerebral Palsy. To read through that list is to glimpse the breadth of his generosity. Generosity, like the meat business, was in Peck’s DNA. With his wife, Miriam, he founded a philanthropic foundation that, in the early 2000s, merged with one founded by his parents, Milton and Lillian. Together, the two organizations have chiseled the Peck name in stone: The Peck Welcome Center at the zoo; the Peck Pavilion and Bernie’s Bar at the Marcus Center; the Peck Aquatic Center at the Jewish Community Center; the Peck School of the Arts at UW-Milwaukee; the Peck Chapel at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun; the Peck Courtyard and Bernie’s Bar at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. “Everything we do is for the greater good,” said his daughter, Karen Peck Katz. And some was for just plain fun. He collected vintage automobiles, which he stored in a rehabbed foundry at 1041 N. Water St. He used some of the cars to lead off the Circus Parade. A fan of the Big Top, Peck was president of the International Clown Hall of Fame. Which is why there will be clowns at his funeral, scheduled to […]
Oct 19th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Get your sugar buzz on at Terrazas Cakes & Pastries
For as long as I can remember, the prospect of a steaming plate of food excited me way more than a dessert ever could. Sweets leave me with both a physical and metaphorical feeling of heaviness; it’s almost as if society looks down on me in contempt of every sugar-filled bite. Luckily, Terrazas Bakery, 2474 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., has successfully changed my perspective on desserts in the sense that I will never feel guilt again. Sisters Karina, Carla and Eira Terraza bake their passion, dedication and love into each cake and pastry, and it shows. A daily selection of pastries, including chocolate truffles, fruit tarts and various cupcakes are available for customers’ immediate indulgence. I picked out a few items from their selection, with the fruit tart and tres leches cake being my favorites. The ladies at Terrazas use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to create satisfying fruit tarts, which are filled with freshly-made custard, and topped with grapes, blueberries, strawberries and kiwis. This small masterpiece was arguably my favorite pastry from Terraza’s. The custard wasn’t too rich – which is a problem I find with a lot of custards – and had a vanilla-flavored finish to it that lightened my life. I chose to take multiple bites of the tart, allowing each bite to include a different fruit topping. I’d eat five of these at once, if I could. The tres leches cake was especially interesting because it differed from most I’ve had in the past. Typically, tres leches tends to be mushy from being soaked with sweet milk. Terraza’s version of the tres leches cake involved a dense cake in which the milk mixture is poured directly to the middle; this allows it to absorb the flavor of the milk without making the whole cake soggy. The frosting is light and not too sweet, drizzled with a bit of chocolate. After cutting a slice for me, Karina poured a bit more of the wondrous milk mixture onto the cake. I expected the usual uneasy feeling of eating too much of a good thing once I finished the tres leches cake, but found myself wanting more. For the first time, I ate a whole slice of cake (mind you, this was a fairly large slice). My first tastes of Terrazas pastries were delightful and satisfying to say the least. The real magic of Terrazas, however, is its ability to create whatever comes to your mind. I decided to shoot the ladies at Terrazas a few cupcakes ideas, and they delivered quite nicely. I asked them to make red velvet, banana’s foster and raspberry-filled chocolate cupcakes. Each cupcake was moist and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness. My favorite of all the cupcakes was the bananas foster; the cake itself was a type of banana nut bread, with a frosting that tasted very similar to vanilla ice cream. The real MVP of this glorious cupcake was the sauce that topped the cupcake. It was probably one of the best rum […]
Oct 18th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Hot dog vendor and therapist Mike Bate
OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: How long have you been doing what you do? Mike Bate: I’ve been in the service industry for a number of years, but I’ve only worked the hot dog stand for West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe at the Public Market for one summer and it has been a blast. I’ve also been a therapist through the Wisconsin Early Autism Project for five years, and I’ve been making candles since March 2015. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your favorite Milwaukee season? Bate: Oh that’s easy, winter … said no one from Milwaukee ever! My favorite season is autumn. Summers are always packed with fun and cool events daily, but I’m at an age where I can’t keep up with it like I used to. Autumn is my favorite season because it has a way of slowing you down to reflect on the whirlwind that are Milwaukee summers. It’s a beautiful season to be in for a little while before we get spanked with winter. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your favorite or least favorite Milwaukee smell? Bate: It kinda goes along with the season question, but my favorite smell is when you walk past a building that is doing their laundry and you can smell the fabric softener on the crisp autumn or winter air. Something comforting about it I guess. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What is your one wish for Milwaukee? Bate: I hope more people go for what is in their hearts rather than just settling for the way things are. I always say nothing ever happens unless you do it. Life can get pretty packed sometimes, but if more people can find a way to make room in their day for something that they are passionate about, something they believe in, or something that they want to see happen, I think the overall morale of the city can change and lead to a happier life in general. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What side of town do you live on? Bate: I live on the East Side and have been enjoying it for years. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: When / how did you fall in love with Milwaukee? Bate: I know what makes me happy in life and Milwaukee satisfies a lot of those things. The thing that makes me fall in love with it is meeting people in this city that get just as pumped as I do about the things that really make me happy. Whether it is seeing a ball fly out of the park in center field or hearing your favorite song at a concert, I love giving the person next to me a high five whether I know them or if I don’t. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: Why do you do what you do? I am a big music enthusiast and one of my favorite albums is “good kid, m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar. There is a dialogue on a track where […]
Oct 18th, 2015 by Dave Reid
New nightlife spot Door No. 7 opens tonight above Trocadero
New bar/nightlife spot Door No. 7 opens its doors to the public tonight at 1758 N. Water St. and will host its grand opening party Nov. 7. Door No. 7 is above Trocadero – which OnMilwaukee reported had an ownership change in December – and was formerly known as Red Star Cocktail Club. The new ownership includes JJ Kovacovich, a bar manager at Trocadero from 2005 to 2007; Drew Deuster of Red Rock Saloon, McGillycuddy’s and Red Lion Pub; and Christopher Tinker and David Price of Red Lion Pub and Three Lions Pub. A manager confirmed Trocadero’s new ownership is running the new Door No. 7 space, and it will be similar to Red Star with a focus on cocktails and a lounge feel. Stop by and check out the new space – and OnMilwaukee hopes to give you a first look soon. You can also follow along with Door No. 7’s Facebook page here.
Oct 16th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Musical chairs starting again at Milwaukee County Circuit Court
After nearly 20 years on the bench, Milwaukee Circuit Judge Daniel Noonan has decided to retire, effective next month, and as usual, the news has fueled speculation about appointments and election challenges. Noonan, a lawyer since 1971, was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected without opposition last year to another six year term, but has decided to leave early. Chief Judge Maxine White said Noonan put his intentions in a letter to her office that indicates his last official day would be Nov. 30, but that he would probably use vacation time to cover the last couple weeks or so of the month. His retirement would leave a vacancy Gov. Scott Walker could fill, though the appointee would have face election in the spring, or even February if more than one challenger emerged. Noonan declined to comment on his decision Thursday. If Walker doesn’t appoint, or even if he does, depending on the choice, new candidates or even those running in contested races for other branches of the circuit court might run for Branch 31. In Branch 45, Jean Kies is running against recent Walker appointee Michelle Ackerman Havas. Branch 44, vacated by Daniel Konkol‘s retirement, is being contested by Gwen Connolly and Hannah Dugan. Unlike Noonan, Konkol is finishing his current term, which ends next August, meaning there will be no vacancy for Walker to fill by appointment. Walker appointed Havas to replace Rebecca Bradley, after Walker appointed Bradley to the Court of Appeals in May. But since Walker promoted Bradley to the Supreme Court last week, to replace Justice Patrick Crooks who died in his chambers, there is now an opening again on District 1 Court of Appeals. There’s a good chance Walker would appoint another circuit judge to that spot, creating yet another opening to fill on the trial bench. Three other lawyers were finalists with Havas in July, so there’s a chance Walker could go back to that list to expedite appointment to the Noonan seat. They were assistant district attorney Rebecca Kiefer, assistant city attorney Adam Stephens and John E. Flanagan, a former partner at Michael Best and Friedrich. The end result could be four contested circuit judge races come April.
Oct 16th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Third Ward apartment project to begin work within 90 days
Mandel Group Inc.’s delayed plans to develop a six-story apartment building in the Historic Third Ward are proceeding, with work to begin within 60 to 90 days. Once that work starts, the 132-unit Domus apartment building is to be completed within 14 months, said Andy Wiegman, Mandel Group senior manager of construction and development. Wiegman spoke at Thursday’s city Redevelopment Authority meeting. The authority’s board voted to approve a proposal to provide $295,000 in city funds for pay for 50% of the costs of repairing a dockwall on the project site, a riverfront parking lot at 401 E. Erie St. That’s next to Mandel’s Marine Terminal Lofts condo building. Property taxes from the $30 million development will pay back those funds. The funding plan also needs Common Council approval. The project will include 6,500 square feet of commercial space, possibly for a fitness center, Wiegman said. Mandel had hoped to begin construction in the summer of 2014 after the Historic Third Ward Architectural Review Board approved the plan.
Oct 16th, 2015 by Dave Reid
A People on the Move spotlight
Colliers International/Wisconsin, of Milwaukee, has added Bill Quinlivan as partner of the company’s brokerage operations. He will focus on the corporate solutions platform. Quinlivan brings 30 years of advising numerous corporate clients on their real estate portfolios throughout Wisconsin, the U.S. and internationally to the role. What attracted you to this new opportunity:“Colliers’ international reach to provide real estate services to my clients throughout the world along with the local depth of talent and community presence that Colliers’ Wisconsin provides to its corporate clients” Thoughts on your position:“Working with corporate executives to strategize how real estate should fit into their corporate structure of assets and liabilities is extremely satisfying. You get to assist in the development of the internal course of action that best fits the corporate culture of the company and facilitate implementing the long-term plan for their non-liquid real estate assets.” First job: Paper route, tobacco farm laborer, age 12 Career advice:“Find great teachers and mentors, listen intently, once you decide your course … go all in.” Personal hero:“Thomas Hines, father of my best friend in high school, got me an internship with a Connecticut general contractor while I was at Auburn and established my career path from there.” Last book read:“The Book of Awesome” by Neil Pasricha Person you would most like to meet: Larry Bird Family: Wife, Lorinda; daughter, Shelby; daughter, Gaelen, and son-in-law, Dustin; son, Hunter, and daughter-in-law, Shannon; grandchildren, Lyla and Barrett Favorite vacation spot: Cape Cod Favorite film:“Hoosiers” Favorite Milwaukee restaurant: Lake Park Bistro Likes about Milwaukee:“Diverse perspectives are challenged but creative solutions to growth are found … welcome to the Renaissance City.” What you most like doing in your free time:“Vacationing with family, noontime basketball or a round of golf with friends”
Oct 16th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Froedtert’s Cathy Jacobson to chair Wisconsin Hospital Association
Froedtert Health president and CEO Cathy Jacobson has been selected as chair-elect of the Wisconsin Hospital Association in 2016 and will assume the role of chair in 2017. Jacobson has been a member of the Wisconsin Hospital Association board since 2013. The WHA is one of the most active lobbying organizations in the state capitol and its members include all the major health care systems in Wisconsin. Mike Wallace, the president and CEO of Fort HealthCare in Fort Atkinson, will chair the hospitial association in 2016. Jacobson joined Wauwatosa-based Froedtert Health in 2010 as executive vice president of finance and strategy, chief financial officer and chief strategy officer. She was promoted to president in 2011, and assumed the CEO role in 2012. Froedtert Health includes Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend and the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin regional health network. Prior to joining Froedtert Health, Jacobson spent 22 years at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago in various leadership roles. Jacobson’s other board appointments include Mercy Health of Cincinnati; the VHA-UHC Alliance of Irving, Texas; United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County; The Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, where she is chair; Integrated Health Network of Wisconsin, where she is chair; the BloodCenter of Wisconsin; United Hospital System in Kenosha; the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, where she is chair; the Greater Milwaukee Committee and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Jacobson also serves on the UW-Milwaukee College of Health Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and the American Hospital Association’s Section for Metropolitan Hospitals Governing Council.
Oct 16th, 2015 by Dave Reid
New partnership furthers food access through Milwaukee Winter Market
The Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market has announced plans to join forces with local nonprofit, the Fondy Food Center. Fondy, the mission of which is explicitly to connect neighborhoods to fresh, local food, runs the Fondy Farmers Market on Milwaukee’s North Side, the Fondy Farm in Port Washington, a pop-up market at Schlitz Park, and a city-wide farmers market access project. The goals of the partnership will be to leverage the power of the well-established winter market along with Fondy’s success in providing access to fresh, wholesome food. “This merger allows two great organizations with distinct and very different strengths to leverage what they do best into something so much more for the region,” says Young Kim, executive director of Fondy. The MCWFM will will begin its market season Nov. 7, offering up the same quality produce, bakery, meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy and cheeses, grains and specialty products and preserves as usual. In fact, customers are unlikely to see much of a difference in the market overall. However, the collaboration between the two organizations aims to increase both the sustainability of the market overall, as well as its reach to a new consumer base. “In our six seasons we’ve continued to grow as a winter market and we’ve experienced significant success at the Mitchell Park Domes,” says Ritch Durheim, president of the MCWFM board. “We are excited about our partnership with Fondy, which will allow us to realize our mission to “provide equitable access to wholesome food.” Fondy will now have a market in operation almost every week of the year – providing year round healthy food access and economic opportunities for small producers and diverse consumers across the region. “I’m eager to see how to apply lessons learned from our regular summer market to this winter market so that everyone, regardless of income, has a shot at getting the fresh, locally produced foods that are the building blocks for a healthy and productive life,” notes Kim. The Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market takes place Nov. 7 through April 9 on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Domes Annex at the Mitchell Park Conservatory, 524 S. Layton Blvd.
Oct 15th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Warrants allege Green Bay businessman defrauded WEDC for more than $1 million
A Green Bay businessman is under criminal investigation for allegedly defrauding the state’s job creation agency of more than $1 million, according to search warrants obtained by the State Journal. Ron Van Den Heuvel has not been charged with a crime, but he is suspected of committing theft and securities fraud against several parties, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., according to six search warrants the Brown County Sheriff’s Office executed at Van Den Heuvel’s home and businesses in De Pere and Ashwaubenon in July. The warrants state that WEDC, which is funded mostly with taxpayer dollars, “was a potential victim of fraudulent representation made by Van Den Heuvel.” They provide the first confirmation that law enforcement officials are investigating a company for allegedly misrepresenting itself to WEDC. WEDC loaned $1.12 million to Green Box NA on Oct. 21, 2011, according to agency records. The funds were supposed to help the company create 116 jobs by December 2014 as part of a more than $13 million project to turn fast food wrappers and other waste paper into synthetic fuel and paper products while producing zero waste. Within days, according to the warrants, “a substantial portion” of the loan amount was transferred to bank accounts for other business entities and used to pay Van Den Heuvel’s personal and business debts unrelated to Green Box. The warrants allege that Van Den Heuvel gave tours of a vacant building in Ashwaubenon that “was never for sale but was used as a prop” to induce commitments from investors. He also gave demonstrations of his equipment, but it did not work as he represented, and he claimed to hold seven patents “when, in fact, he holds none,” according to the warrants. One employee told investigators she was instructed to document financial entries on a balance sheet with numbers Van Den Heuvel quoted to her, but “she knew the numbers were not real because there was no actual business or product being produced by Green Box” at any time. In an interview Wednesday, former WEDC CEO Paul Jadin, who signed off on a staff review recommending the loan and a later $95,000 training grant, recalled touring the Ashwaubenon facility and afterward warning WEDC staff to exercise caution in lending money to the company, including making sure there was a “significant security” agreement. WEDC had secured a collateral agreement before it released funds in October 2011 that prohibited the company from using its property as collateral in other transactions, but Van Den Heuvel “pledged and re-pledged WEDC’s collateral to other creditors multiple times over,” the warrants allege. WEDC agreed to release collateral liens on some of the company’s equipment in October 2013, three months after issuing the company its first default notice. WEDC spokesman Steven Michels said the change was “to assist the company in raising additional capital for their projects” given the agency’s financial stake. The company defaulted again in May 2014. Four months later, WEDC amended the contract again “to give the company six more […]
Oct 15th, 2015 by Dave Reid
