Event venue proposed for historic Story Hill firehouse

Plans have been proposed for a historic former firehouse building in Milwaukee’s Story Hill neighborhood to be used as an “upscale” event venue, called Story Hill Firehouse.

Wauwatosa-based event planning company Evenement LLC seeks to transform the 4,800-square-foot building, located at 407 N. Hawley Road, into a space for weddings, community gatherings, corporate events and private parties, according to plans submitted to the city’s Board of Zoning Appeal.

The business, which was first started in 2011 by owner Janelle Meyer-Brown, would also relocate its offices there from its current location at 7208 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa.

Story Hill Firehouse would fit up to 120 people for a sit-down event, with room for an additional 30 people for a standing-room event. It will include a main event space and additional rooms for smaller events, as well as an outdoor garden area. It will also offer parking for up to 25 vehicles at a nearby lot on Bluemound Road.

“In the Engine Bay, we will be able to seat 120 to 130 guests and using also the FireHouse Dorms and Engine Bay for a networking or cocktail event, we can host up to 150,” Meyer-Brown said. 

Meyer-Brown plans to buy the building for $450,000 from Andrew Paremski, the owner of Enterprise Art Glass Works Inc., which has occupied the building since 2009. Paremski was not immediately available for comment.

Evenement plans to spend an additional $370,000 on interior renovations, “while keeping its original historical value,” the plan states.

The 91-year-old brick building, known as Engine House No. 35, was first built in 1927 and was historically used as a Milwaukee fire station, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Plans for the building, and a request for a special use permit, were reviewed and approved on Dec. 6 by the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals. Interior renovations will begin next month, with a target opening date set for June 1, Meyer-Brown said.