Lawmakers give go-ahead to new $180 million DOT headquarters
The Legislature’s budget committee signed off Thursday on selling land that will allow Gov. Scott Walker‘s administration to build a new $180 million headquarters for the Department of Transportation in the state capital. Under the plan the Joint Finance Committee approved 14-1, the state would sell 18 acres on Madison’s west side for $13.1 million. Fourteen of those acres are prime real estate that would go for their market value, while 4 acres would go for nearly $2 million less than their assessed value. Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) cast the lone no vote, but did not say why she opposed the sale. Two other Republicans said they struggled with the vote because of the cost of the overall project, but ultimately decided to support it. “This is really in the best long-term interest in the state but, boy, it’s difficult to vote for, I tell you,” said Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson), who called the new headquarters “a nine-story testament to the fact…that government tends to grow.” “My jaw drops when I see how much money it is,” Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) said of the project, but added he supported it because of a cost-benefit analysis by Robert W. Baird & Co. of Milwaukee. The committee’s action is the final legislative approval needed for the project. The budget committee did not take up a proposal to release money set aside for more prosecutors at the state Department of Justice to help address a wave of gun violence in Milwaukee. That money was set aside as part of the budget approved by Walker and Republican lawmakers in July. Rep. Mandela Barnes (D-Milwaukee) called on the panel’s co-chairs to hold that vote. “Providing more funding to prosecute firearm offenses is a small, yet very tangible, piece of a much larger puzzle to combat gun violence that can and should be immediately approved,” Barnes said. “We can no longer hold Milwaukee families in suspense by neglecting to fulfill the promise made to them nearly three months ago.” Justice Department spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said that the process was moving forward. “We continue to work with our public safety and legislative partners with confidence that we are moving forward to bring the gun prosecutors on board,” she said. Also Thursday, the committee held a hearing on legislation that would give the budget committee more say over how insurance is provided to nearly 100,000 state employees. The move comes at a time when officials are studying shifting the state from using health maintenance organizations to a self-insured model, in which the state would work with a private administrator that would likely be a large, out-of-state corporation. A consultant has said the move would save tens of millions of dollars, but lawmakers have been skeptical of the idea because of how it would shake up Wisconsin’s insurance industry. The bill discussed Thursday would give the Joint Finance Committee the ability to halt any insurance changes proposed by the state Group Insurance Board. In essence, it would give lawmakers […]
Oct 15th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Redevelopment Authority board approves plan
The planned conversion of a historic downtown Milwaukee building into a 94-room extended stay Homewood Suites hotel also will force Joey Buona’s Restaurant, the building’s anchor-tenant restaurant, to search for a new home. Joey Buona’s, on the first two floors of the seven-floor Button Block Building, 500 N. Water St., will be closing, with conversion work at the building to begin by January or February, developer S.R. Mills said Thursday. “They’re committed to trying to do something in the Milwaukee area,” Mills said at a city Redevelopment Authority meeting Thursday. “Unfortunately, it will not be at this particular site.” The authority’s board unanimously endorsed a plan to spend $1.96 million in city funds on street work and other public improvements connected to the $17 million hotel project. Those funds, provided through a tax incremental financing district, would be repaid through the hotel’s property taxes by around 2026, said Dan Casanova of the Department of City Development. The funding plan needs Common Council approval. The Homewood Suites is to open by late 2016 or early 2017, said Mills, who operates Kenosha-based Bear Development. Joey Buona’s will be honoring commitments to banquets and other events it has booked, Mills said. The restaurant opened in 2001. Previously, that space was occupied by a Brett Favre Steakhouse. The seven-story Romanesque Revival-style Button Block building was sold in 2014 to Bear Development. The upper five floors of the building have been vacant since a fire in the early 1990s, Mills said. The building was constructed in 1892, and Bear plans to use state and federal historic preservation tax credits to help pay for some of the renovations. Changes will include a secondary entrance on the building’s north side, with a parking lot there to be converted into a drive-through for dropping off hotel guests. The city funds will pay for a pedestrian walkway at that drive-through to connect N. Water St. to N. Broadway; upgrades to N. Broadway, including its conversion near the hotel to two-way traffic with new traffic signals, and lighting beneath the newly rebuilt Interstate 794 to make sidewalks safer on N. Broadway and N. Water St., between downtown and the Historic Third Ward. “This is a great project for a very prominent building,” Casanova said.
Oct 15th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Fresh from NFL on NBC, Milwaukee’s Weber brings blue-eyed soul to Skylight
Close your eyes and listen to “Till I Hurt You.” You might think you’re hearing Amy Winehouse or even an old Jackie DeShannon. You’d be wrong, however. It’s Grace Weber, the Wauwatosa-raised singer who’s returning to her hometown for a gig Saturday at Skylight‘s beautiful Cabot Theatre. Her return is the direct result of her dad, Milwaukee attorney Ralph Weber, putting his Skylight Theatre attendance together with a daughter who can write and sing the eyes out of a song. “Grace comes back to Milwaukee to play once or twice a year,” Weber said. “I’ve been to the Skylight a number of times, and I’m always on the lookout for places for her to play. “The Cabot is such a wonderful space, so I sent them an email last April asking if they ever rent out the theater when there’s nothing in there. They said yes, and we put it together from there.” Grace will perform Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available here. If you are a football fan, you may have seen her sing the national anthem on last Sunday night’s football game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. Her dad assures that the song will not be on the set list Saturday night. Renting out the Cabot may seem like an over-the-top way to get your daughter to visit her family, but Weber chuckles that it’s not just about that. “We are very proud of her, of all our kids,” he said. “It’s going to be great having her here, sharing her music.” Weber starting singing with a gospel choir in Milwaukee as a teenager and that sound infuses her work, both as a songwriter and a singer. There is something about the way she can get directly to the heart of a song, as well as gospel-like sense of song construction, that makes her a very appealing performer. “Till I Hurt You” is a song that is full of emotion, but also has an intellectual pull. It would be easy to see other artists from a lot of different genres covering this song. You could see Kacey Musgraves giving it a country twist or Sam Smith adding it to his emotional package. Her second album, “The Refinery” was released a year ago this month and will be the heart and soul of her set Saturday night.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Walker’s Point building on National Avenue sold for restoration, new artist studio
A longtime stakeholder in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood bought the roughly 120-year-old building at Sixth Street and National Avenue and plans to establish a studio there for artists and creatives. “I’d like to see people with paint-stained smocks on,” said Dieter Wegner, the new owner. “I’d like to see people with shiny shoes and ties on.” Wegner bought the two-story National Avenue building earlier this month. He runs Altec Building Services Inc., and has also rehabbed historic Walker’s Point buildings that house Movida and The Noble restaurants, among others. Wegner said he wants to start work as soon as possible restoring the National Avenue building’s exterior, and then begin interior restoration work. The project fits in with a lot of other activity in that area. The city and area stakeholders recently branded the area as a Creative Corridor to promote more cultural and artistic activity. To the east, Fifth Street will be rebuilt next year to promote more street life, and has seen a string of recent building rehab proposals. Kitty-corner from Wegner’s building, the former Esperanza Unida building was sold in spring for rehab into apartments. “There’s just a lot of interest and activity,” Wegner said. “This strategically located Sixth and National building can both benefit from the potential of the neighborhood, and actualize the potential of the neighborhood.” In line with the Creative Corridor concept, Wegner plans to turn the second floor into a studio with flexible space. That space formerly was a boarding house. “You’ve got to be an artist to be a Web designer,” he said of artists and creative entrepreneurs. “There’s a blurring line between those now.” Exterior rehab work includes opening up the first-floor windows and sprucing up the vacant storefront on National Avenue. Wegner also plans to build a small tower from the roof at the building’s street corner edge. That was a historic feature of the building that has since been removed. “My first priority is to get the exterior, the building envelope, tight and dry,” he said. “The essence of the building is good. We’ve just got to resuscitate it.” The Felipe’s Place tavern, a longtime occupant of the building, is operating on the first floor. Wegner said he will not decide what to do with that space until after he talks with Felipe’s management. Matt Fahey, an associate broker with Colliers International/Wisconsin, brokered the recent building sale. It previously belonged to a bank, and its ownership shifted to a California investor that bought a portfolio of bad loans, including the building mortgage, he said. “For Sixth and National, we feel the momentum is shifting that way and we saw a good amount of activity from interested buyers just because of the location,” Fahey said. Wegner bought the building for $140,000, according to state records.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Camino opens next week in Walker’s Point
Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 20, Walker’s Point will gain a new hang-out specializing in American craft beer and creative upscale bar fare. Camino – the brainchild of longtime Lowlands Group employee and former Beer Capital rep Casey Rataczak – is located at 434 S. 2nd St. in the former home of one of Milwaukee’s groundbreaking restaurants, The Social. The space, which features reclaimed barn wood from Justin Kutz of the Wisconsin Reclamation Project, seats 16 at the bar and 26 at tables throughout the space. Local art smatters the walls; and each piece is for sale, with 100 percent of profits going back to the artists. In the rear of the restaurant, on what used to be a stage for bands, Rataczak will showcase old school arcade games, including Captain Fantastic Elton John Pinball, Ms. PacMan, Donkey Kong, Burgertime and Tapper. Rataczak says he drew inspiration for the concept from work with Milwaukee restaurateurs Scott Johnson and Leslie Montemurro, and Mike and Kristen Eitel. “They really taught me to think outside the box and approach my work with creativity,” he says. “And, with so much experience on the beer side, I really wanted to open a place that showcased the best of American craft beer. And I wanted it to be casual, accessible, simple.” Camino exemplifies all of these things, filling a gap that has developed in the Walker’s Point market. A kitchenette behind the oval bar on the north side of the restaurant will serve up sandwiches and sides made with fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, the bar will showcase a number of cocktails along with 20 taps, 19 of which will dispense craft brews from Lakefront Brewery, Three Floyds, Ballast Point and Great Lakes Brewing Company, which Rataczak cites as being a great example of a craft brewery that’s stayed true to style in each of its expressions. The twentieth tap will sport pours of Pabst. Each brew will be available to enjoy at the restaurant, or to be taken home in a growler. Chef Nicolas Goetzke, who spent the past three years with the Marcus Corporation, most recently at Milwaukee Chophouse, will man the kitchen, which will serve up sandwiches (priced $7-12) including a ribeye with mushroom ragu, a half-pound burger and the Waldorf chicken sandwich. Vegetarian options will include a beet reuben, a brussels sprout pita and the “Kimcheese” featuring American, Swiss and provolone cheeses along with authentic kimchee. Sides ($2) will include hand cut fries, rye breaded Clock Shadow cheese curds with Russian dressing and mushroom ragu served with crostini. A three-bean chorizo chili and beer cheese soup will also be available for $3, along with jumbo grilled wings ($6 for six; 12 for $11) with a choice of house-made sauces, including sweet (brown sugar, ketchup. worchestershire, cider vinegar), green (Jalapeno, herbs, scallions, honey) and angry (gochujan, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame). Sweets will include a rootbeer float made with the spirited “Not Your Father’s Rootbeer” and a double vanilla ice cream from Purple Door. According to Rataczak, future […]
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
UWM Athletics to Honor Five New Hall of Fame Members
MILWAUKEE – The Bud K. Haidet Athletics Hall of Fame will gain five new inductees, and the induction ceremony will be held on December 5 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. The five honored individuals are Nick Davis (track and field), Chad Dombrowski (men’s soccer), Traci Edwards (women’s basketball), Karen Fruit Leigel (volleyball) and Tori (Whitlinger) Pitch (tennis). In addition, team physician Dr. Bill Smith will receive the Panther Award of Distinction. ______________________________________________________________________________ Davis was a track athlete from 2001-2004 and was an esteemed high jumper and javelin thrower, having graduated with school and league records in both events (only school record in indoor high jump). He was a 10-time Horizon League champion, winning two of those as a freshman and receiving league newcomer of the year honors. He remains the only athlete to win the javelin championship in all four years of eligibility. Finally, he finished his career with a Horizon League Athlete of the Year award along with Outdoor Performer of the Year in 2004. The program won the indoor and outdoor league titles that season as well. Excelling on the field was not the only accomplishment for Davis, as he was a standout student as well. He was named to the league’s All-Academic team four times and was honored as a Scholar-Athlete with Distinction. He earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology from UWM. ______________________________________________________________________________ Dombrowski was with the soccer program from 1999-2002. The team went 60-24-3 while he was a member, including a 19-2-1 record in his senior season (2002). He is the second of five brothers to have played for the program, appearing in 78 career games and starting in all but four of them. A two-year team captain, he scored 24 goals and added 14 assists, seven of those goals being game-winners, proving his ability to come through in the clutch. He earned the ultimate reward for his success as a Panther, as he was the first UWM player to be drafted by a Major League Soccer (MLS) team when the Chicago Fire made him the 43rd pick. Dombrowski’s collegiate honors include being named second-team NSCAA All-American. In addition, he was a two-time first-team Great Lakes Region and All-Horizon League selection. As a pro, he had success in his collegiate city, as he helped the Milwaukee Wave win a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) title in 2005. ______________________________________________________________________________ Edwards, who played for former coach Sandy Botham from 2005-2009, was a four-year starter for the Panthers and broke three records. She finished as the all-time leading scorer in program, Horizon League, and state of Wisconsin collegiate history. In addition, she was the first woman in those three’s history to amass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her career. Starting all but five of her 125 career games, Edwards shot a blistering 57.2 career percentage from the field and could knock down outside shots, evidenced by her nearly 40 percent clip from three-point range. In addition, she holds the two highest scoring games in Panthers’ history, scoring 45 […]
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Corey Stingley’s family files wrongful-death suit in teen’s killing
The parents of a teenager who died after being restrained at a West Allis convenience store have sued three customers and a store clerk after a four-year injunction against the teen’s father was granted to one of the defendants because of threatening letters. The long-expected wrongful death lawsuit, filed Friday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, comes almost three years after the death of Corey Stingley, 16. The teenager was confronted and restrained by the customers at VJ’s Food Mart, 9206 W. Schlinger Ave., Dec. 14, 2012, after he was caught attempting to shoplift alcoholic beverages. He became unresponsive during the struggle and was taken to a hospital, where he was kept on life support until he died Dec. 29, 2012. An autopsy found he died of positional asphyxia, or a lack of oxygen, that led to brain damage and death. The lawsuit was filed 21 months after Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm declined to charge anyone criminally in the case, a decision that prompted backlash in the community and a call for a federal civil rights investigation. Prosecutors concluded that the three customers had no intent to harm Stingley, nor were they aware that their actions created a substantial and unreasonable risk of great bodily harm. Chisholm declined to comment about the civil suit. In announcing the lawsuit, the plaintiff attorneys at Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula & Dentice said Stingley “was sentenced to death by four vigilantes for making a juvenile mistake.” Named as defendants in the suit are customers Mario Laumann, Jesse R. Cole and Robert W. Beringer. Also named are store clerk Chirag A. Patel, the company that owns the store and various insurance companies. The suit contends the customers and Patel were part of a “civil conspiracy” to detain Stingley, and the negligence of each defendant led to Stingley’s death. The suit seeks unspecified damages. On Sept. 11 a Waukesha County court granted a request by one of the defendants for a temporary restraining order against Stingley’s father, Craig Stingley, 54, according to online state court records. A request by the defendant for the four-year injunction against Craig Stingley was granted Sept. 24 after the court found letters filed by Craig Stingley to be threatening, according to the records. An appeal hearing on the injunction requested by Craig Stingley is scheduled for Oct. 21. The letters were sent by Craig Stingley this summer to Chisholm and the state Supreme Court, WISN-TV in Milwaukee reported Wednesday. According to copies of the letters obtained by WISN, Craig Stingley wrote that he is “trying to remain restrained, but if the so-called justice (system) is corrupt and broken what is the point in me restraining myself from avenging the murder of my son?” “I essentially am left with two choices: Live as a prisoner to the pain and injustice,” Craig Stingley wrote. Chisholm’s office warned the defendants about the letters and requested the state Department of Justice investigate, according to the station.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Milwaukee Ballet extends Pink’s contract, names new executive director
Milwaukee Ballet Company artistic director Michael Pink will continue heading the organization’s dance productions for the next five years through a contract extension to 2020. Pink has choreographed and directed ballet productions for Milwaukee for 13 seasons and has become “a major force” in the city’s arts scene, said Jud Snyder, president of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company and board chair and president of the Milwaukee Ballet. “He continues to push the artistic and cultural boundaries of our community and expand our understanding of a classic art form,” Snyder said in a press release. “We are thrilled to extend Michael’s contract.” The Milwaukee Ballet Company has also announced a new executive director, dance industry veteran Julia Glawe, who brings international dance administration experience to Milwaukee. Glawe’s career in the performing arts spans more than 25 years. Throughout the past 17 years, she has focused on booking and touring international dance productions. During 15 of those years, she worked as senior vice president for the Dance Division of IMG Artists. Glawe also spent five years at the Hubbard Street Dance Center, a touring dance company located in Chicago, where she was responsible for booking and outreach activities. “Julie has a quiet confidence, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a great passion for ballet,” Snyder said. “She brings outstanding international experience and business acumen to the company, as well as a wonderfully grounded sense of the Midwest thanks to her personal and professional connections here.” With her background in the international dance scene, Glawe will “inject unique vibrancy” into both Milwaukee’s ballet company and broader arts community, Pink said. She was selected for the role of executive director after a national search. While solidifying its leadership team, the Milwaukee Ballet Company has launched a matching campaign to fund new stage works. The “Campaign for New Work,” backed by Sue and Allan “Bud” Selig, took flight during the ballet company’s annual board meeting on Tuesday. Additionally, the ballet company has named a set of new board directors: Griselda Aldrete, president and chief executive officer of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee; Mark Benskin, senior vice president, managing director, U.S. Bank Private Client Reserve; William Bonifas, executive vice president, CBRE; and Chris Piotrowski, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Associated Bank.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
South Second opening in Walker’s Point
South Second, a new event venue in Walker’s Point, will open at 838 S. 2nd St., in April 2016. The award-winning HGA Architects created the design and Saz’s Hospitality Group will offer food options. Saz’s has a new state-of-the-art kitchen also in the neighborhood at 201 W. Walker St. “At South Second, you can customize every detail of your event, or lean on the expertise of our team to make it happen,” reads the venue’s website. Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more information as it becomes available.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Dave Reid
88Nine Radio Milwaukee DJ Marcus Doucette
Who better to ask about music than a guy whose job it is to know music? That’s the case with episode four of Milwaukee Soundbites, which heads over to 88Nine Radio Milwaukee to chat with DJ Marcus Doucette, who takes a swing a Lollapalooza and gives an unconventional answer to what he’d pick as his desert island album.
Oct 13th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Bobby Kraft out at First Edge Solutions; Bob Kraft leads buyer group
The latest twist in the First Edge Solutions Inc. receivership case includes the exit of CEO Bobby Kraft and an offer to buy the company from a group led by his father, Bob Kraft, and the company’s management. The limited liability company led by the elder Kraft would replace the previous suitor — affiliates of Bobby Kraft-led World Marketing Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 reorganization Sept. 28. Bobby Kraft resigned as CEO of First Edge Solutions in September and is not part of the group his father is leading to buy First Edge, said Josh Morby, a spokesman for Bob “The LLC is going to make an offer to purchase the assets of First Edge,” Morby said Tuesday. Bob Kraft’s RWWF LLC was seeking a $700,000 loan from Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. to help finance the purchase of First Edge Solutions. The LLC plans to use the MEDC loan and $3.4 million from other unspecified sources toward a total $4.1 million in funds to buy assets and cover other expenses, according to a MEDC document. If Bob Kraft’s LLC can complete the First Edge purchase, the new owner would retain 35 full-time and eight part-time jobs, the MEDC document said. The prospective owner estimates it would add 10 full-time jobs and five part-time within two years. “We’re hopeful the business will continue to operate and preserve jobs,” Morby said. Under the new owners, First Edge Solutions also would relocate from 1301 W. Canal St. in Milwaukee to 7254 N. Teutonia Ave. in Milwaukee. First Edge Solutions was founded in 2003 and is a multi-channel communication, printing and document management company. The firm listed assets of $3.96 million and liabilities of $12.3 million when it filed for receivership in July. The sale of First Edge Solutions would require the approval of court-appointed receiver Michael Polsky of Milwaukee and ultimately of a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Bobby Kraft led a group that bought World Marketing Inc. from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in October 2014. World Marketing’s operating companies have filed for Chapter 11 reorganization and idled about 400 employees. Bobby Kraft is World Marketing’s CEO and majority owner, a spokesman said. Bob Kraft is best known for leading FirstPathway Partners LLC, which has raised EB-5 foreign investment dollars for Milwaukee-area developments. The EB-5 program provides an investment vehicle that qualifies investors for green cards and American citizenship.
Oct 13th, 2015 by Dave Reid
New Walker’s Point apartments near Reed Street Yards reach 95 percent occupancy
The Brix Lofts Apartments building in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood has reached 95 percent occupancy four months after opening this summer. That lease-up of the 98-unit building is another reflection of the strong downtown apartment market, and attractiveness of Walker’s Point. Brix is a former industrial building previously used to manufacture candy bars at 408 W. Florida St. It is south of the Reed Street Yards water technology business park, and next to the Iron Horse Hotel. Contractors recently completed a parking structure between the Brix and Iron Horse, said Dustin Sydorowicz, property manager at Siegel-Gallagher Management Co. “We were hoping to reach stabilization by the end of this year,” Sydorowicz said of the apartments. The Milwaukee firm is managing the building for its developer, Madison-based Hovde Properties. Monthly rents in Brix range from $1,150 for a one-bedroom to $2,275 for three-bedroom apartments, Sydorowicz said. All five of the three-bedroom units are leased out, he said. Most tenants are young professionals, including employees of GE, Rockwell Automation, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks teams, Sydorowicz said. “Most people want to be close to downtown and not smack dab in the middle of it,” he said.
Oct 13th, 2015 by Dave Reid
