New living spaces and a nostalgic Beatles-themed eatery to open in 2024 in Waukesha County

Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read

A pair of high-profile, large-scale housing projects, as well as a smaller Beatles-inspired commercial venture, remain on target for completion or phased-in development in Waukesha County in 2024.

Not surprisingly, Oconomowoc's development corridor along Highway 67, from Pabst Farms near Interstate 94 to Olympia Fields to the north, has one of the biggest projects in the works. The village of Pewaukee likewise has a sizable senior-living center. While Waukesha has residential projects in the works, the big splash will be Let It Be, a restaurant with modern take on a historic English venue.

Certainly, these aren't the only major construction projects going on next year, especially in Lake Country, where housing projects of all sorts were proposed and planned in 2023. Some have not listed construction targets for the new year.

For a glimpse of what else is happening or has recently been completed, check out the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Land and Space Development Database at projects.jsonline.com/apps/Land-and-Space-Development-Database.

This aerial map rendering shows the concept for the Olde Highlander residential development in the Olympia Fields area in Oconomowoc. Neumann Developments Inc. has broken ground for the first phase of the project. The company will also be involved with the adjoining commercial development.
This aerial map rendering shows the concept for the Olde Highlander residential development in the Olympia Fields area in Oconomowoc. Neumann Developments Inc. has broken ground for the first phase of the project. The company will also be involved with the adjoining commercial development.

Oconomowoc: Olde Highlander adds to Olympia Fields' mixed development

The residential development that includes the historic Olympia golf course near Highway 67 in Oconomowoc broke ground in August 2023 with an eye on completion of its first phase in 2024, though the scope of the development suggests next year is only the beginning.

That initial phase of the 352-home Olde Highlander by the land development company Neumann Developments is expected to include 44 single-family homes: 16 in The Estates at Olde Highlander and 28 in The Villas at Olde Highlander. In addition, The Towns (two-story townhouses) has 20 homes in Phase I and The Reserve (ranch-style condominium homes) has another eight.

That effort also doesn't include adjacent apartment plans by Mandel Group and commercial developments in the mixed-use plans that encompass the old golf course, the resort and neighboring lands that included Kmart.

No specific date has been set for the completion of the first phase.

Inside the downtown Waukesha building on Clinton Street, Dave Meister has already overseen the creation of a live-performance stage drawn directly from the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.
Inside the downtown Waukesha building on Clinton Street, Dave Meister has already overseen the creation of a live-performance stage drawn directly from the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.

Waukesha: Let It Be nears completion after four-year effort

Dave Meister, whose plans for a downtown Waukesha restaurant and performance venue based on a Liverpool club where the Beatles rose to fame, is putting the finishing touches on Let It Be.

Located in a building that once housed a bowling alley on Clinton Street, Let It Be is distinctly modeled after the Cavern Club, a steamy, brick-defined venue that became internationally famous as the Beatles became worldwide stars in the mid-1960s.

Meister said he is sticking to his plan to open Let It Be in March 2024. Most of what remains to be completed are the functional elements of the business — hiring staff, booking performers, testing equipment, etc. — but the interior work itself is still being fine tuned. That includes special oak doors and the selection of artwork that will help set the tone.

This rendering shows one view of The Westerly, a senior living community that will be built near Highway 164 and Capitol Drive in the village of Pewaukee. Construction, which began recently, could be completed by the end of 2024, or early in 2025.
This rendering shows one view of The Westerly, a senior living community that will be built near Highway 164 and Capitol Drive in the village of Pewaukee. Construction, which began recently, could be completed by the end of 2024, or early in 2025.

Pewaukee: The Westerly moves ahead of schedule with senior housing

A senior living facility in the village of Pewaukee's commercial core is building up fast. The Westerly Pewaukee has a chance of completion by the end of 2024, its developer now says.

Aaron Matter, CEO of Wauwatosa-based Matter Development, acknowledged the four-story complex featuring 138 apartment units could still spill into 2025, based on the 20-month schedule initially estimated when construction began in July. But the project is clearly on the rise off Highway 164 just north of Capitol Drive.

The Wauwatosa-based real estate development and consulting firm is partnering with ICAP Development and Koru Health to build and operate the facility, which hopes to take advantage of its proximity to the Meadow Creek Shopping Center and related commercial businesses nearby.

Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jariccioli.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 2024 developments include Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Waukesha projects