The Ladybug Club in downtown Milwaukee could get a new name and fresh look by this fall as plans are in the works for a new nightclub and lounge to open in its current space at 618 N. Water St.
The club’s general manager, Habib Manjee, wants to transform the longtime nightclub, also known as 618 Live on Water, into an internationally-inspired dance club, featuring more EDM (electronic dance music), salsa and meringue, and less top 40 hits, he said.
Manjee recently submitted a license application to the city with his plans to open the new nightclub, listing it as Hush Louge, but Manjee said it will have a different name that is yet to be determined.
According to the license application, the nightclub’s entertainment will include live music, DJs, comedy acts, dancing and karaoke. It will also serve bar fare such as wings, cheese curds and French fries.
Manjee said he plans to remodel both the inside and the outside of the space before he would open the new club in October.
The Ladybug Club in recent years has been the source of problems for the city and its license was suspended in 2013 because of violent incidents there.
In 2017, Manjee applied for a license to add adult entertainment to the venue. The application came as the Milwaukee Common Council grappled with a decision on whether or not to grant a group of operators a strip club license at a location on Old World Third Street downtown.
