The last business in Milwaukee's Water Street nightlife district that's not a tavern or restaurant is becoming a tavern
The last ground-floor business in downtown Milwaukee's Water Street nightlife area that's not a tavern or restaurant is on its way to becoming a tavern.
The historic building that houses A. Werner Silversmiths Inc., 1241 N. Water St., is to become the home of Water Street University, a tavern operated by Steggeman Investments LLC.
That's according to a new building permit application filed with the city Department of Neighborhood Services.
Mike Steggeman, who operates Steggeman Investments, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he hopes to have the building converted into a tavern in about six months —although the project could take longer to complete.
Water Street University, with capacity for up to 99 people, will include an outdoor patio bar in the back of the building and a second-floor deck overlooking it, Steggeman said. He has a pending purchase agreement for the property.
A. Werner has operated in the two-story, 3,520-square-foot building since 1956. The building is a former diner that was built in 1895, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
It sticks out as as an outlier on a two-block stretch of Water Street between Highland Avenue and Knapp Street.
The silversmith business has been operated by members of the Wied family since the 1950s. Mike Wied last year put the building on the sale block, listing it with Barry Co., after deciding to retire.
Since the late 1980s, around the time the Bradley Center opened to host Milwaukee Bucks games and other events, the area evolved from a mix of businesses to the Water Street nightlife area. That arena has since been demolished and replaced by Fiserv Forum, which opened in 2018.
The Water Street strip's businesses include Duke's on Water, AJ Bombers, Red Rock Saloon, Brothers Bar and Grill, Bar None, McGillycuddy's, Pourman's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Elwood's Liquor and Tap and Lowcountry Milwaukee.
A. Werner was founded in 1888 by Austrian immigrant Adolf Werner. His son, Leo, started operating the business in 1940, with the Wied family buying it in 1954.
The demand for silver restoration services has declined steadily for decades, Mike Wied told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in December.
The building includes a four-space parking lot.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Water Street will be all bars, restaurants when silversmith closes
