Owners of Ivy House, Filament plan event venue at former SURG on the Water space
A new event venue, The Starling, is planned in the Historic Third Ward in the former space of SURG on the Water, 102 N. Water St.
The Starling, which is slated to open in April, is co-owned by Tyler Curran and Ramsey Renno. They also own two event spaces in Walker's Point: the Ivy House, 906 S. Barclay St., and Filament, 131 W. Seeboth St.
"We are looking to grow and offer more options, not only for couples in Milwaukee, but for corporate, nonprofit gatherings and events," Curran said. "It's just an incredible location."
Curran said they plan to offer pop-up dining nights and other events open to the public as well.
The 5,500-square-foot space can seat up to 200 people and has an outdoor boardwalk overlooking the Milwaukee River.
The two said they are updating the space to make it modern and colorful. Permitting is still in process.
"We want it to work well in the Third Ward, as well as draw on the natural ambiance of the river," Renno said. "We knew it was a diamond in the rough and we needed to bring it into 2021. We're excited for the opportunity."
The space had been occupied by SURG restaurant group since 2010. It first opened as Ryan Braun's Graffito but closed three years later.
The space opened as SURG on the Water event space in 2014. It permanently closed in summer 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We had to close it when we realized COVID was going to be here for a while," said Mike Polaski, owner of SURG restaurant group. "It wasn't something we wanted to do, but it was something we had to do."
Jordyn Noennig covers Wisconsin culture and lifestyle. Follow her on Instagram @JordynTaylor_n. Find her on Twitter @JordynTNoennig. Call her at 262-446-6601 or email Jordyn.Noennig@jrn.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee wedding and events venue The Starling planned in Third Ward
