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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Best Place lawsuit settled out of court, Haertel plans new ballroom
April 17, 2013 09:00 AM
An investors group led by Best Place owner Jim Haertel and another investors group that includes Wauwatosa accountant Daniel Glaser have reached an out of court settlement to a lawsuit that Glaser's group filed against Haertel's group.

"I can acknowledge that there is a settlement," said Haertel said. "That's all I can say at this time."

With the lawsuit behind him, Haertel is working on plans to create a new ballroom in the Best Place complex, located within the former Pabst brewery in downtown Milwaukee.

The Haertel and Glaser groups were part of Brew City Redevelopment Group LLC, which owns the former Pabst gift shop, Blue Ribbon Hall and corporate office space of the former Pabst brewery. Brew City Redevelopment Group had negotiated with Cincinnati Restaurant Group to open a Hofbrauhaus brew pub and restaurant in the Pabst complex. But the deal fell through. Instead Brew City opened a new gift shopping mostly selling vintage Pabst items, a bar and leased Blue Ribbon Hall out for events. Brew City has also provided tours of its complex, which is just a small portion of the entire former brewery site. Glaser and his group were upset that the deal for the Hofbrauhaus project did not move forward and they sued Haertel's group.

Glaser could not be reached for comment.

Haertel would not comment on the settlement, but said the settlement enables him to move forward with his next plan for the property. He wants to create a new ballroom in a 4,800-square-foot space in the office building portion of the complex, built in 1880, next to the former Capt. Frederick Pabst office.

Haertel said the 2,000-square-foot Blue Ribbon Hall is booked solid for weekends into November, and most of the events that are booked for the room are weddings. He already has 16 events booked for the room next year, most of them are weddings.

The idea of getting married in the historic Pabst brewery complex appeals to many couples, Haertel said.

"We are turning one or two brides a day away (because Blue Ribbon Hall is booked)," he said. "We're very successful doing this."

The former office space area where Haertel wants to create another ballroom needs extensive renovations. Preliminary plans include a stage on one end of the room and a bar on the other end. An adjacent conference room could be used for events, or it could be booked along with Capt. Pabst's former office for smaller meetings.

Haertel said he is getting cost estimates for the work that needs to be done and will have an appraisal done on his entire property in its current condition and what it would be worth if the additional ballroom is added. If the additional ballroom adds significantly to the value of the property, Haertel said he believes he will be able to get financing for the project. He said he has a lender, which he would not name, that is showing strong interest in financing the project.

"They've made a commitment, subject to this appraisal," he said.

The financing for the project could be in place in two months and the project could be complete in five to six months, Haertel said.

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ETE Reman to move HQ to former Brown Deer Road Walmart
April 17, 2013 09:00 AM
ETE Reman Inc., a Milwaukee-based remanufacturer of transmissions and transfer cases for cars and trucks, plans to move its operations to the former Walmart store building at 8700 N. Servite Dr., Milwaukee, just off of Brown Deer Road.

The company is currently located at 8155 N. 76th St. in Milwaukee.

The 140,000-square-foot former Walmart building was constructed in 2001. The store was closed last year when Walmart opened a new store in Timmerman Plaza at 10316-50 W. Silver Spring Dr.

A representative for ETE Reman could not be reached for comment.

But in a filing with the city of Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals the company said the “new facility will provide for ETE Reman to bring all of their facilities under one roof. The new facility will house administration, sales, customer, support, assembly and storage.”

The company says it will have 300 employees in the former Walmart facility.

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Groundbreaking held for The Mayfair Collection
April 17, 2013 10:00 AM
A groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of The Mayfair Collection development, which will be built by Chicago-based HSA Commercial Real Estate at Highway 45 and Burleigh Road, was held Tuesday.

In the project's first phase, HSA Commercial will demolish a portion of the warehouse buildings fronting Highway 45 to create approximately 270,000 square feet of retail space and a parking lot.

Tenants in the first phase will include Nordstrom Rack, Dick's Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty.

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Q1 Milwaukee area home sales up 14.1%, prices starting to rise
April 17, 2013 09:00 AM
Home sales in the Metropolitan Milwaukee market were up 11.3 percent in March, compared to a year earlier. The first quarter registered a 14.1 percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2012, according to the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors (GMAR).
“Since the Great Recession began in 2007, the market saw a precipitous decrease in sales volume,” said GMAR executive director Mike Ruzicka. “Through the first quarter of 2013, however, the Milwaukee metropolitan market has seen an increase in volume that is approaching levels seen at the height of the boom market in the last decade.”

The inventory of homes on the market in the metro area continues to shrink. There were a total of 10,229 homes listed for sale in the area during March, an inventory level (how long it would take to sell all of the homes for sale) of 7.52 months, according to GMAR. In March of 2012, the inventory level was at 12.55 months.

There are some signs that the high level of sales and declining level of inventory is finally resulting in sales price increases. First quarter sales prices: Milwaukee County, $122,344, up 9.2 percent Ozaukee County, $260,655, up 9.2 percent Waukesha County, $262,500, up 5.5 percent Washington County, $182,883, down 3.0 percent

“Despite tightening inventory, for the last several months the Milwaukee marketplace did not see much price pressure until the end of the first quarter,” Ruzicka said.
 

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Potbelly Sandwich Shop to open in former Prospect Mall
April 17, 2013 09:00 AM
A Potbelly Sandwich Shop will occupy a 2,090-square-foot space in the former Proposect Mall, located on Milwaukee’s East Side, which is being expanded and redeveloped.

Milwaukee-based Joseph Property Development LLC and Milwaukee-based Boulder Venture LLC are redeveloping the former Prospect Mall site, located just off North Avenue, west of the Prospect Avenue and Ivanhoe Place intersection.

Once the project is complete, the building will have 52 market rate apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The existing building is being gutted to create the retail space and indoor parking space. Four levels of apartments will be built on top of the existing building. Boulder Venture will own the retail space and Joseph will own the apartments.

Potbelly will occupy a first floor retail space on the entire Ivanhoe Place side of the building and the Ivanhoe and Prospect Avenue corner. Josh Minkin of Alpine Commercial Real Estate Services LLC is the listing broker for the retail space.

“We’re having some good discussion with some smaller, regional boutiques (for the remaining 8,000 square feet of retail space in the project),” Minkin said.

The property has been an eyesore so long many potential tenants were skeptical about the project, he said.

“Now that people are seeing construction taking place I think we are getting some good momentum,” Minkin said.

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Starbucks coming to Muskego
April 17, 2013 09:00 AM
A Starbucks café will occupy part of a retail building that will be built by Boulder Venutre northeast of Moorland Road and Janesville Road in Muskego.

Starbucks will occupy an 1,800-square-foot space in an 8,448-square-foot building that will be built right at the corner of Moorland and Janesville. The site is an outlot of a Kohl’s department store. An Aurora Health Care clinic was recently built next to the Kohl’s store. Boulder Venture is the developer for the project and Alpine Commercial is the leasing broker.

“(Starbucks) will be a great addition to that project,” said Josh Minkin, of Alpine Commercial. “I think some great momentum is starting with this project and the recently opened Aurora Clinic.”

The retail building could attract up to three more tenants, Minkin said. A frozen yogurt store and a hair salon have shown some interest, he said.

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Easter Seals relocates headquarters to West Allis
April 17, 2013 10:00 AM
Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin has completed the relocation of its headquarters to a one-story, 25,000-square-foot space located at 222 S. 114th St. in West Allis.

The nonprofit organization, which serves individuals and families impacted by disabilities, moved its administrative offices and Adult Day Program as well as its Milwaukee’s Child Development Center into its new facility at the end of February after purchasing the site last October.

“We’re running at full throttle already within the organization,” said Bob Glowacki, chief executive officer of the organization.

Easter Seals’ South Milwaukee Administrative Offices and Adult Day Program were previously located at 1016 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee. The Child Development Center was previously situated at 3090 N. 53rd St. in Milwaukee.

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Groundbreaking Thursday for Ronald McDonald house expansion
April 17, 2013 10:30 AM
On Thursday, a ceremonial ground breaking event will take place at the Ronald McDonald House in Wauwatosa to commemorate the start of a $10 million construction project that will nearly double the size of the current facility.

Located at 8948 Watertown Plank Road across from the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, the building currently has 38 rooms for families of hospitalized children receiving treatment at Milwaukee-area hospitals.

The Ronald McDonald House has raised $7 million through a capital campaign with the final $3 million to be raised over the next 18 months of construction. The expansion is expected to open in summer 2014.

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Leases
April 17, 2013 10:00 AM

Boerke Company

Dickey's Barbecue Pit leased 1,880 square feet of space in the Calumet Shopping Center at 2723 Calumet Dr., Sheboygan, from North Calumet LLC. The quick-service Texas barbecue restaurant will open its seventh Wisconsin location at this site.

Dickman Company

Quad Graphics Inc. leased 205,063 square feet of industrial space at 5600 S. Moorland Road, New Berlin, from Ace Distribution Leasing LLC.

Mid-America Real Estate

Pier 1 renewed their lease of 9,981 square feet of space at Southport Plaza, 7200 Green Bay Road, Kenosha.

Rue 21 leased 5,200 square feet and Jimmy John's leased 1,510 square feet of space at Delavan Crossings, 2129 E. Geneva St., Delavan.

NAI MLG Commercial

Team-Up with Families Inc. leased 7,000 square feet of space at 404 Wilmont Dr., Waukesha, from 404 Wilmont Drive LLC.

RFP Commercial

Tarsus US Holdings Inc. leased 5,063 square feet of office space at 175 N. Patrick Blvd., Brookfield.

Extension Inc. leased 4,188 square feet of office space in the Timbers Building at 700 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee.

Imagination Station leased 3,972 square feet of retail space at 7919-61 N. 76th St., Milwaukee.

Adecco USA Inc. leased 3,369 square feet of office space at Plaza East, 330 E. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee.

Wisconsin Insurance Plan leased 2,790 square feet of office space in the Atlas Building at 600 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee.

Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. leased 2,597 square feet of office space at 4225 N. Port Washington Road, Glendale.

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Sales
April 17, 2013 10:00 AM


Mid-America Real Estate

South Creek Holdings LLC, purchsed the Goodwill Store at the southeast corner of Washington Avenue and Creenwing Drive in Sheboygan.

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New construction
April 17, 2013 10:00 AM

Oconomowoc-based MSI General Corp. was hired by Ampco Pumps Company to design and build interior remodeling and additions totaling 25,500 square feet at its existing location in Glendale.

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Andrew Weiland BizTimes Real Estate Weekly is compiled by BizTimes Milwaukee managing editor Andrew Weiland. This bulletin is published every Wednesday morning. Send real estate news tips to Andrew.Weiland@biztimes.com or call him at (414) 277-8181, ext. 120.

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