Construction is now underway on the two-story, 45,000-square-foot structure that will house a Chicago-based restaurant and entertainment center, called WhirlyBall, set to open next year at Brookfield Square Mall.
The concept, which will be located at 95 S. Moorland Road, is named after a game that combines lacrosse and bumper cars. It will include a 75-seat dining area with an outdoor patio, along with private event space and two ground-floor WhirlyBall courts.
Its full-service bar restaurant will offer a “chef inspired menu,” and serve craft beer and season cocktails.
“We’ve always wanted to bring WhirlyBall to Wisconsin and we’re thrilled that this project is officially underway,” said Adam Elias, vice president of strategic planning for WhirlyBall. “We’re honored to join the Brookfield community and we look forward to providing a new experience for both locals and visitors to enjoy.”
The project will be WhirlyBall’s first Wisconsin location, and its fourth-ever location since opening its first venue 25 years ago. It operates venues in the Chicago area and recently opened a location in Colorado Springs, with plans to expand across the U.S.
WhirlyBall is being built at the south end of the mall at part of the former Sears store space. The former Sears store was recently demolished to make way for the WhirlyBall establishment and for a Marcus Theatres BistroPlex. The Sears store closed early this year.
Green Bay-based Associated Bank earlier this month closed on a $29.4 million syndicated construction loan for the Brookfield Square former Sears store space redevelopment project as one of its major lenders.
There will also be an Outback Steakhouse and an Uncle Julio’s Mexican Restaurant on nearby pad sites.
Ongoing construction at Brookfield Square is part of a larger redevelopment effort being led by the mall’s owner, Chattanooga, Tennessee-based CBL & Associates Properties.
The City of Brookfield is partnering with a developer to build a $32 million, 54,000-square-foot conference center and a 168-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel linked by a glass walkway in the former Sears Auto Center parking lot at Brookfield Square.
