Chicago developer buys downtown Milwaukee post office building
The downtown Milwaukee post office has been sold for $13 million, potentially setting the stage for a huge redevelopment project that would include retail stores, a high-end grocery, offices and restaurants along the building’s riverfront. The 1.1 million-square-foot building at 341 W. St. Paul Ave. — one of the city’s largest buildings — was sold Friday to R2 Companies and Polsky Holdings, both of Chicago. “We’re really excited about the potential for this site,” Matt Garrison, managing principal at R2, said in an interview Monday. Since 1968, the building has been home to the U.S. Postal Service, which has a lease that runs five more years but had been considering venues in metropolitan Milwaukee for a more efficient site. The downtown site, which includes a four-story building on 9.3 acres of riverfront, long has been considered by city officials as a top site for redevelopment, in part because of its connections to transportation. “It has tremendous potential because it’s on the streetcar line, it is on the Hiawatha (Amtrak) line to Chicago, it’s on the Menomonee River and it is on St. Paul,” said Rocky Marcoux, commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of Development. The postal site drew multiple offers and the sale price topped the asking price of $12.8 million, according to The Barry Co., which was the principal broker in the transaction. “It’s another extraordinary validation of the value of investing in the city of Milwaukee,” Marcoux said. Garrison said in a statement that his firm wants to “build on the traction and civic pride from projects like the Riverwalk, the new (Milwaukee) Bucks Arena, Calatrava’s Milwaukee Art Museum, as well as the new Class A Northwestern Mutual and Johnson Control buildings downtown.” Garrison added, “We think Milwaukee is steadily becoming one of the region’s most livable and energetic urban areas. It’s the Portland of the Midwest.” Garrison said R2 is bringing in the San Francisco-based architectural firmGensler, which worked on Facebook’s headquarters and many other prominent projects, for the Milwaukee project. Garrison said there are no plans to raze the mammoth structure. He called it a “classic adaptive reuse” opportunity. “We want to save the building. I know a lot of people have looked at it as maybe a teardown,” Garrison said. “A lot of these kind of civic concrete buildings, people think are a little harsh. But they also can be really beautiful if they’re redeveloped properly and opened up with glass and light and green elements and retail elements.” Garrison said he envisions the first two floors being retail space, possibly including a high-end grocery store to accommodate the wave of people moving downtown, and even a “big box” retailer that — even though it already is a big box — easily would fit into the enormous amount of space. He said the third floor would be for parking, and the top floor would be for office space, perhaps for a relocated corporate headquarters. The 1,500 feet of river frontage offers the potential for restaurants and […]
Oct 12th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Another strip club seeks to open in downtown Milwaukee
Another strip club owner is hoping to open an adult establishment in downtown Milwaukee in the near future. Boro Buzdum and his business, Mookie Exotic, applied for a license Thursday with the City of Milwaukee to open a strip club named 10 Exotic at 730 N. Old World Third St. “Full nudity would be awesome, but we don’t anticipate that,” Buzdum said Friday. Buzdum’s move to open 10 Exotic comes as the City of Milwaukee is facing nearly $1 million in losses from its yearslong fight to keep a different strip club, Silk Exotic, out of the downtown area. Last week, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ordered the city to pay nearly $500,000 in attorney fees and costs for Silk’s lawyers. His ruling came after a federal jury awarded the club’s owner $435,500 in his fight with the city earlier this year. The city is appealing. So far the case has been a win for Silk Exotic owner Jon Ferraro and his partners, although it did not clear the way for Silk to open a club downtown, something Ferraro has been trying to do for six years. Buzdum said his application has nothing to do with Silk or the lawsuit. The establishment now at 730 N. Old World Third St., Rusty’s Old 50, has been run since January by Buzdum’s sister, Diane Buzdum, and her business partner, Robert Smith, under the name Boardroom Entertainment MKE. But Rusty’s — managed by Radomir Buzdum, Boro Buzdum’s and Diane Buzdum’s brother — quickly ran into trouble with the law when Milwaukee police officers doing what they called a “license premise check” on Jan. 21 found dancers, many of whom were wearing just “pasties,” underwear and high heels, as well as vertical poles for dancing, according to a police report. The poles were later removed, additional police reports show. The city’s license committee has recommended against renewing Rusty’s license, and the Common Council is expected to vote on the matter Tuesday. Ald. Robert Bauman said “it’s a long, convoluted history,” but added this is essentially “the same guy” trying to reopen under a different name after getting caught running a strip club in violation of the establishment’s license. Boro Buzdum insists that’s not the case. “That was then. They have no involvement. It’s a new corporation. It’s a new business. There’s no relationship,” he said. “Obviously, they’re my brother and sister.” Buzdum, who lives in Slinger, is seeking a Class B tavern, public entertainment, and restaurant license from the city for 10 Exotic. He’s already signed a lease with the property owner, but added it’s contingent on being able to open a strip club at the location. “It is a legitimate business in the State of Wisconsin and the United States of America,” he said. The spot is one of the locations where Silk Exotic tried to open a strip club, but that plan was rejected. It’s also the same location where The Velvet Room, then a swanky downtown lounge, tried to convince the […]
Oct 12th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Milwaukee County Parks spokesman cited for resisting officer at Packers game
Jeff Baudry, marketing director for the Milwaukee County Parks Department, was arrested Sunday during the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field and cited with unlawful conduct at a public event and resisting an officer. Baudry, 54, was released from the Brown County Jail on Monday, according to online records. Each of the offenses is a civil violation that carries a $880 fine, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “We are investigating and have no further comment,” said Laura Schloesser, chief of administration and external affairs. Melissa Baldauff, spokesman for Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, referred questions to county parks officials. Baudry, who is responsible for talking to the media and issuing press releases for the Parks Department, did not return calls to his Franklin home or county office. Records show that Baudry has been convicted of drunken driving three times, most recently in 2013. The Green Bay paper said police made only four arrests during the Packers game.
Oct 12th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Have you seen Milwaukee’s Scooby van?
When “Scooby-Doo” the movie came out in 2002, Cudahy’s Gene Gureski decided to paint his 1974 Chevy van to look like The Mystery Machine that appears in the film. Gureski enjoyed the cartoon as a kid and so when the movie was released, and he already had a similar van, he decided to create his very own Mystery Machine. “I worked on the stenciling and painting a little at a time until it was done,” says Gureski. The van is originally from California and Gureski does not drive it after October, so it’s free of rust. The paint job still appears brand new, mostly because Gureski touches it up regularly. He plans to completely repaint it this winter, keeping the same design. Gureski takes the van to car shows around the state, and is also spotted driving it around Milwaukee and the surrounding areas. His dog, Vera, is often in the Mystery Machine with him. “People always ask me, ‘Is that Scooby?’ and I say, ‘No, that’s Scrappy,’” jokes Gureski. And yes, he has “Scooby snacks” in the car for Vera – and other dogs he meets in his travels. “People know me around here as Scooby-Doo,” says Gureski. “That works for me.”
Oct 12th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Gerald Boyle takes on another high-profile case — his own
In more than 50 years of practice, Milwaukee lawyer Gerald Boyle grew famous for his role in high-profile cases like those of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and former Green Bay Packer Mark Chmura, acquitted on charges of molesting a teenager at a post-prom party. On Monday, Boyle will argue a big case of another kind at the Wisconsin Supreme Court — his own. Lawyer regulators want the court to suspend Boyle’s license for 60 days for violating professional rules of conduct involving two clients. Boyle will argue that the sanction is too harsh and that his offenses deserve, at most, a public reprimand. His performance could either cement Boyle’s reputation as a gifted advocate, or become a sad coda to a career gone south. The Office of Lawyer Regulation filed a complaint against Boyle last year. It charged him with six violations, one for putting a $19,000 retainer for a criminal client into his operating account, not his trust account. The five others stemmed from Boyle’s dealings with David Peterson, a Waukesha man who hired him to help recover $300,000 he had paid for what turned out to be counterfeit John Lennon drawings and other rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. According to the complaint, Boyle accepted $65,000 in fees, without a written fee agreement, again failed to put the money in a client trust account and missed deadlines for suing galleries that sold Peterson the fraudulent items. The OLR sought a six-month suspension of Boyle’s law license, but the referee who heard the case, Hannah Dugan, recommended the 60-day suspension, which Boyle appealed. ••• For years, Boyle stood out among the best-known criminal defense attorneys in Wisconsin. He rose to national attention representing Milwaukee serial killer Dahmer. His defense of Chmura also generated massive news coverage. He defended John Maloney, a Green Bay arson detective convicted of killing his wife and setting fire to her body. His daughter Bridget Boyle followed him into the legal profession and began handling some high-profile cases of her own until she was hit with a barrage of OLR complaints and eventually surrendered her law license. “A consistent theme runs through all of these Boyle disciplinary cases,” wrote Robert Krohn, the Edgerton lawyer who prosecuted discipline actions against Bridget Boyle and her father. “She accepts client retainers and does not adequately define what services she will be performing. She is nonresponsive to client requests. She does not keep a client informed about the status of the case,” Krohn wrote. Similar issues formed the heart of the complaints against Gerald Boyle. In 2012, a former client sued Boyle, claiming his ineffective representation led to the man’s conviction in federal court. The client won a right to a new trial on appeal and was acquitted at trial with a new lawyer. In more recent years, Boyle represented a fired Milwaukee police officer in the Frank Jude beating case, the former head of the Milwaukee police union charged with forgery, a psychotherapist charged with having a sexual relationship with […]
Oct 11th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Hue Restaurant owners Mark Nielsen and Carina Tran
OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: How long have you owned Hue? Mark Nielsen and Carina Tran: About six years. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What time of year / season is your favorite in Milwaukee? Nielsen / Tran: We really like fall, the summer festival season is pretty hectic for us. When fall comes, the weather cools down and we get back to the business of running restaurants. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your favorite or least favorite smell in Milwaukee? Nielsen / Tran: Favorite smell is the middle part of the Lakefront Brewery tour. It smells like malted barley and happiness. Least favorite smell is Bay View with the wind coming off Jones Island. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: What’s your hope for Milwaukee? Nielsen / Tran: We hope we all move forward together. Cities in the Midwest are having to reinvent themselves these days and I think Milwaukee is doing a great job. We just hope we continue with a combination of small steps and big leaps forward. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: When / how did you fall in love with Milwaukee? Nielsen: Heading to the East Side from Bay View about seven years ago. It was dark and I was riding my motorcycle across the Hoan Bridge. I took in the wind and the great skyline and I knew this was where I belong. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: Why do you do what you do? Nielsen: It’s interesting. I have a short attention span and every day throws you something different so I like that. OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: One guilty pleasure? Nielsen: Oakland Gyros OnMilwaukee / Too Much Metal: Name a Milwaukeean you would like to high five. Nielsen: Probably Increase A. Lapham. I’m a bit of a history nerd and he was one of Milwaukee’s first great scientific minds. Plus his name is Increase, how cool is that?
Oct 11th, 2015 by Dave Reid
‘Uncle Rodney,’ the last of the great characters
We once called Rodney Kreunen more right wing than Attila the Hun. It was way back in the early 1960s when he was running for the State Assembly from Madison’s west side. It never fazed him a bit. In fact, I think he relished the comparison and whenever he’d introduce me to one of his railroad friends, he always brought that up. “But, he’s a good guy — for a left winger,” he’d laugh. “Besides, he’s a good railroad man.” He’d frequently send me clippings from the Wall Street Journal editorial pages, the rantings of the country’s most conservative columnists and historic quotes from the likes of Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan. But, they were always accompanied by a pack of flower or vegetable seeds that I could plant in the garden. As my retired longtime colleague Ron McCrea emailed after learning of his death, “May all of his flower packets bloom.” “Uncle Rodney,” as he was affectionately known by his friends and even those who weren’t, was one of a kind. He may have harbored deeply conservative views, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be your friend, something that’s lost on today’s slash-and-burn partisans. Besides, politics wasn’t the end all for Rod Kreunen, railroading was. No one was a bigger advocate for the railroad industry and passenger rail, in particular, than Rodney. Former Gov. Tommy Thompson recognized his self-acquired railroading expertise and passion and made him his railroad commissioner, even if as a real estate agent and a motorcyle salesman he had never worked in the business. It was a job that Rodney jumped into with both feet and turned an under-the-radar state agency into one that proactively promoted crossing safety and raised the industry’s profile around the state. He single-handedly convinced Thompson, who said this week that Rodney had more knowledge of railroads in his little finger than most people have in their heads, to push a pro-passenger rail agenda for Wisconsin and during one summer convinced Amtrak to extend the Chicago-to-Milwaukee Hiawatha service to Watertown to test if it would be welcomed by passengers. It was. He never said anything publicly, but it was a downer for him when the standard bearer of the party he loved, Scott Walker, single-handedly killed an extension of passenger rail to Madison when he became governor after the 2010 elections. That expansion had been one of Uncle Rodney’s crusades — and dreams — for years. Rodney could seem to be a bull in the china shop, constantly moving and talking nonstop about his passion. McCrea reminded me that another colleague, our managing editor Chris Murphy, once said, “Trying to get a quote from Uncle Rodney is like trying to take a drink from a fire hose.” Rodney’s health had been failing the past couple of years and he was on kidney dialysis to keep alive. He died sometime during the night Wednesday at the age of 79, but made all of us who knew him better for it. Our condolences to […]
Oct 10th, 2015 by Dave Reid
Art Museum hires Chef Jason Gorman as executive chef
Jason Gorman, the chef most Milwaukeeans know from his time at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s Dream Dance Steak and the Iron Horse Hotel, is returning to Milwaukee to take over as executive chef at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The announcement about his return was made to Art Museum employees today, and Chef Gorman will be starting in the new position in the coming weeks, according to Milwaukee Art Museum spokesperson Vicki Scharfberg. In 2012, Gorman joined Kenosha native Tony Mantuano as executive chef at the Art Institute of Chicago, and moved back to Kenosha in 2014 to take over as head chef for the newly remodeled Mangia Wine Bar, another of Mantuano’s projects. Gorman will replace former executive chef, Micah Kaufmann, who left the museum in September to pursue the development of an eco-resort and pop-up project at the Red Hill Nature Resort in India. Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they develop.
Oct 9th, 2015 by Dave Reid
New extended stay hotel planned for downtown building
A 94-room extended stay Homewood Suites hotel is being planned for the northeast corner of North Water and East Clybourn streets in a building that is the home of Joey Buona’s Restaurant in downtown Milwaukee, city records show. According to documents filed with the city Redevelopment Authority, Bear Development would develop the existing property known as the Button Block Building at 500 N. Water St. building at the site. The project is valued at $17 million. The city’s Redevelopment Authority is scheduled to vote to amend a tax incremental district to allow for $1.96 million in public improvements including streetscaping, traffic signal upgrades and lighting improvements and “bike amenities” as part of the project. The Redevelopment Authority is scheduled to meet Thursday to consider amending the tax district as part of the plan. Homewood Suites is part of Hilton hotels brand. The seven-story building was sold in March 2014 to Bear Development. The upper five floors have been vacant in the Romanesque Revival style building. Joey Buona’s operates on the first and second floors. A spokesman for the restaurant said Friday he was not aware of the plans for new hotel at the site.
Oct 9th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
A People on the Move spotlight
Jeff Hoffmann has joined AG Architecture, Wauwatosa, as director of client relations in support of the senior living environments portfolio locally and nationally. He brings more than 29 years of experience as a strategic planning specialist. Hoffmann answered a few questions for the Milwaukee Business Journal. New position: Director of client relations, AG Architecture, Wauwatosa Hometown: Milwaukee What attracted you to this new opportunity:“AG’s amazing reputation as a national leader in senior living design” Thoughts on your position:“It’s been fantastic to be able to work with a firm that is 100 percent committed to senior living design. To date, all of AG’s success has not only come from their reputation as a world class senior living designer, but, as one of the greatest service providers in the industry … having the opportunity to work with our industry stalwarts that appreciate what we do has been an amazing revelation.” First job: Bagger at food store Career advice:“In my first career job, I worked with a gentleman that had a sign pasted to his office wall — ‘Success = 80% preparation plus 20% opportunity’ — that was all I needed to know to go about my business.” Personal heroes:“Mom and Dad for believing in me. My first manager at Interplan who saw in me what I didn’t. And my best friend, Kent, for showing me it’s possible to succeed no matter what obstacles are in front of you.” Last book read:“The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough Person you would most like to meet:“Arnold Palmer – perhaps he could explain to me how to play golf.” Family:“I have three wonderful kids, Michael, Emily and Sam – they always find a way to remind me what is best about life.” Favorite vacation spot:“Anywhere that has a snow-covered mountain – Colorado is one of my favorite places to visit.” Most meaningful accomplishment:“Learning to appreciate the moment … Raising three kids and being reminded daily that life isn’t about me. We’re here to help others and offering a hand brings a lot of satisfaction when experiencing others’ success.” Favorite film:“I’m a huge Tom Hanks fan — ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Cast Away,’ ‘Big’ and ‘Forrest Gump’ to name a few.” Favorite Milwaukee restaurant:“Anything Italian, but Centro Cafe tops my list.” Likes about Milwaukee:“It’s home — a place I understand and appreciate – seems we have all (most) of the attributes that anywhere USA has to offer – you just need to get out and participate.” What you most like doing in your free time:“Skiing, golfing, biking, traveling, theater, festivals, sporting events and cooking/eating with friends”
Oct 9th, 2015 by Dave Reid
City Lights Brewing plans a March launch in Menomonee Valley
One of Milwaukee’s newest craft breweries might prove to be its most visible. City Lights Brewing Co. plans to use the former Milwaukee Gas Light Co.’s red brick water tower, seen about two blocks south of I-94, as a brew house and tasting facility. A neighboring building will house additional production equipment, canning and kegging lines, a lab, office and storage and shipping areas. That proposed Menomonee Valley project, first disclosed in August, is moving forward, City Lights owner Robin Gohsman said, with the lease signed and financing package close to completion. City Lights plans to begin production in March, with projected sales of 15,000 barrels in its first year. That would place it among Wisconsin’slarger craft brewers, with the goal of eventually brewing 50,000 barrels annually. “We’re pretty confident we’ll be able to sell every ounce of beer we produce,” Gohsman said. The brewery’s distributor is St. Paul, Minn.-based Johnson Brothers Liquor Co., a firm that has mainly been a wholesaler of wine and spirits. Johnson Brothers has a relatively new craft beer division, and City Lights will be its first Wisconsin brand, said David Kenyon, the wholesaler’s beer and cider brand manager. Johnson Brothers has around 500 Wisconsin taverns, liquor stores and other retail accounts where it plans to sell City Lights. The craft brewery will be part of the City Lights complex, which is south of W. St. Paul Ave. and east of N. 25th St. The historic buildings, which overlook the Menomonee River, were designed at the beginning of the 20th century by noted architect Alexander Eschweiler. City Lights will operate at two renovated buildings, 2200 and 2210 W. Mount Vernon Ave. It will initially use the bottom two floors that make up the base of the tower building, where the first-floor brewery operations will be separated by a glass partition from the tasting room on the first floor and mezzanine level. There also will be special event space on the mezzanine, and an outdoor beer garden. That’s similar to the popular Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis, where tasting room customers can see the brewing process. Gohsman expects to sell a lot of beer through the tasting room in part by tapping into the building’s historic, old industrial ambience, and a location near Miller Park, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and other attractions. “We think this is just going to be a very, very entertaining destination,” he said. The project’s initial phase will cost around $1.75 million, Gohsman said. The company has its equity financing, and will secure loans within 60 days, he said. In the second phase, City Lights plans to use the octagonal tower’s five higher floors to expand the tasting room, offering views of the valley, downtown and other sites. A possible third phase calls for a restaurant at another City Lights building. The brewery initially will have eight full-time employees, with 10 part-time employees in the tasting room, Gohsman said. Its first four to six brands will likely include summer and winter India […]
Oct 8th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Downtown tavern operators buy building near Bradley Center
A group that operates three taverns near the BMO Harris Bradley Center, and the future Bucks arena site, has bought a building which houses one of its businesses. Dehne Brothers Properties LLC bought an 8,100-square-foot building, at 322 W. State St., from Sandra Ruffalo for $800,000, according to recently posted state real estate records. The three-story building, featuring Upper 90 Sports Pub on the street level, includes three second-floor offices and three one-bedroom apartments on the third floor, according to city assessment records. Dehne Brothers is operated by Jake and Seth Dehne. Their other operations include The Pub Club, 1103 N. Old World 3rd St., and a new business that will replace their Buckhead Saloon, 1044 N. Old World 3rd St., which closed in September. Their partner on those businesses is Mike Zimmerman, owner of the Rock Sports Complex, in Franklin, and the Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer team.
Oct 8th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
