The Milwaukee Athletic Club by year’s end will temporarily move its operations to CityCenter at 735 while its historic downtown building undergoes an approximate $57 million renovation project.
A group of investors, led by Milwaukee developers Josh Jeffers and Tony Janowiec, are planning to purchase and renovate the 100-year-old structure located at 758 N. Broadway, and re-lease a portion of it to the Milwaukee Athletic Club. Construction on the building is set to begin by late December or early January.
The MAC will continue to operate from its current location until Dec. 31, and then, for the following year, will relocate its athletic, social, and food and beverage programs and services a block-and-a-half west to 735 N. Water St.
The MAC has partnered with building owner Compass Properties to utilize Gold’s Gym, which occupies a three-floor space inside the CityCenter building, to offer fitness and health club amenities, said Ryan Doerr, owner of Mequon-based consulting firm Strategic Club Solutions.
The MAC has hired the company to provide interim management throughout the construction project and transition back into the newly renovated building.
The club will also occupy a ground-floor restaurant space formerly home to Good Life Restaurant & Lounge, which closed over a year ago, Doerr said. The MAC is currently renovating the space to offer a bar and lounge area, dining area, and coffee shop, as well as outdoor seating on the Riverwalk. The renovations will be complete in six to eight weeks, he said.
The MAC’s temporary clubhouse will include an expanded shuttle service, valet parking, and two boat slips along the Milwaukee River. It will also feature a members-only entrance. Social spaces, meeting rooms and catering services will be offered for private events.
The club plans to move out of the CityCenter and back into its building by late December 2019 when the two-phase project is complete. A New Year’s Eve celebration will be held to welcome members back into the newly renovated building, Doerr said.
The developers plan to open a newly-branded hotel on floors eight through 12, completely redeveloping floors eight and nine and undertaking medium-grade overhauls on floors 10 through 12. The MAC currently operates a hotel on a portion of the ninth and the 10th through 12th floors. Floors six through eight and part of the ninth floor are used for recreation.
In June, the project was approved for $9.48 million in state historic preservation tax credits. This is the second-largest state historic preservation tax credit awarded to a downtown Milwaukee project.
