The long-vacant and deteriorating former Schlitz tied house at North and Humboldt Avenues in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood could be redeveloped as a mixed-use dining and office space under a new purchase agreement.
Built in 1891, the property at 2249 N. Humboldt Ave. housed several bars and restaurants over the decades, but the last of those establishments closed in 1992, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the City of Milwaukee took control of the property in 2018 through a foreclosure suit.
Now, a local emerging developer named
Clarence Morse is planning to invest about $1.2 million into the property to create an indoor-outdoor food and beverage establishment.
According to plans filed with the city, Morse is planning to outfit the vacant portions of the lot into a food truck court with outdoor seating and a stage, while the building's first floor would be used for indoor seating and a bar.
Morse is planning a second-floor event or office space, and the third floor will be used as office space.
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Under a purchase agreement up for city review next week, the city would sell the locally-designated historical property for $1.
In 2022, the city's Historic Preservation Committee
approved Morse's plans. Morse has also acquired the necessary liquor license for operation, according to city documents.
"(Morse) is seeking historic tax credits, conventional financing, private investors and/or personal equity and labor, while also exploring available city grants that may be applicable," city documents say.
Morse has been in the contracting business since 2010, according to city documents, and in 2019, graduated from the Associates in Commerce Real Estate (ACRE) with Marquette University.
