Plans brewing to restore Grand Theater on Holton Street
$2 million proposal would renovate 107-year-old building into venue for performances, other events
Jay Anderson plays his saxophone at a lot of bars, where the Milwaukee musician competes for attention as people drink, eat and talk.
That’s why a new $2 million proposal to restore the 107-year-old former Grand Theater, along the border between the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods, carries such a strong appeal for Anderson and other local performing artists.
“That’s what makes the difference,” Anderson said. “It’s a nice room where people are there just to see you.”
The plans to convert the historic Grand Theater, 2917 N. Holton St., into a venue for live performances, as well as weddings and other events, is gaining momentum — despite the daunting price tag.
A proposal to redevelop the cityowned property is to be reviewed by the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee at its Tuesday meeting.
The prospective developer, Riverwest Investment Cooperative, wants a one-year exclusive right to negotiate a purchase.
That would give the cooperative more time to refine its plans, do an initial environmental study of the property and raise funds, according to a Department of City Development report.
The restored building would host theatrical, dance and music performances, as well as show movies, said Ruth Weill, a Riverwest community organizer who’s helping lead the effort. It also could provide programs for neighborhood youth.
“We’re trying to make it as versatile as possible,” she said.
The plans, which are being created with the help of local architectural firm American Design Inc., call for two small theaters that can be combined into one larger venue, Weill said.
One theater would have 99 seats, and the other would have 150 to 200 seats. The seats would be movable, she said, allowing for both theater-style rows as well as chairs and tables for weddings and other events.
There’s a need for affordable rehearsal and performance space in Milwaukee, Weill said.
Also, there are theater troupes, dance companies and other arts groups that want to do shows in the city’s neighborhoods “and not just be downtown,” she said.
The former Grand Theater’s location would work well with the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods, where many artists, musicians and other creative folks live.
“It’s a neighborhood with a lot of people who enjoy those sorts of activities, and there’s no place for them,” said Josh Bryan, who operates Cabaret Milwaukee and is active in other arts groups.
The Riverwest Artists Association is one of the organizations interested in using the Holton Street building.
The nonprofit group operates the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, 926 E. Center St., where it hosts music performances, poetry readings and other events.
But that space can seat only around 30 to 50 people, said Mark Lawson, association president.
“There’s a lot we can’t do there because it’s not that big of a space,” said Lawson, who’s also director of galleries at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
The Wild Space Dance Company also is interested in the project.
“We’re looking forward to see what they come up with,” said Sheri Urban, managing director.
Wild Space has performed in various locations, including parks, a greenhouse and the roof of a parking structure, since it was founded more than 30 years ago.
The lack of affordable rehearsal space is something “everybody struggles with,” Urban said.
The former Grand Theater could host musicians and other performers who need to hone their talent, said Anderson, who leads the band Foreign Goods and operates Voodoo Honey Records.
The project also could attract additional investment to the neighborhood, while helping bring together people from throughout Milwaukee.
“It’s a wonderful community gathering place,” Anderson said.
But restoring historic theaters takes a lot of time and money.
In Milwaukee, efforts to redevelop the Modjeska Theatre, 1134 W. Historic Mitchell St., for concerts and other live events have moved slowly.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has just started an $80 million conversion of the former Warner Grand Theatre, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., into its new concert hall after years of preparation and fundraising.
The estimated $2 million cost to restore and equip the Holton Street building presents a big challenge, said Tom Stocco, president of Riverwest Investment Cooperative.
The member-owned cooperative would be the lead investor in the project.
The cooperative would cover around half of those costs by raising $250,000 in equity cash and borrowing $750,000, said Stocco, who also is chief financial officer at Plymouth-based Van Horn Automotive Group Inc.
The remaining funds would be raised by the building’s nonprofit tenant, which Stocco said would likely be an affiliate of various arts groups.
Those funds would include grants and individual contributions, said Weill, who is vice president of Riverwest Artists Association.
The former theater is solidly built, but needs a major renovation, she said.
“It’s just like any other neglected, cool building in the city,” Weill said. “It needs work.”
That means new plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical systems, Stocco said.
There also would be expansion of the building onto the vacant city-owned lot just to its north, to create a bigger lobby and other additional space, he said.
The Grand Theater was built in 1911 in the Spanish Colonial architectural style, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. In a nod to the changing neighborhood, it was later renamed the Puerto Rico Theatre and then the Magik Grand Theater, before closing in 1975.
The building was last used as a church before the city acquired it through tax foreclosure in 2016.
The theater’s restoration would be the Riverwest Investment Cooperative’s largest project.
The co-op was founded in 2003 to do affordable housing developments and other community projects in Riverwest and Harambee.
It bought and renovated an eightunit apartment building and a small house before the housing market crashed in 2008.
The co-op managed those neighborhood properties before selling them a few years ago after prices recovered, generating a modest profit.
The co-op has around 70 investors, who pay a minimum of $100. That includes 30 members, who pay a minimum of $1,000 each, Stocco said.
The co-op will need additional investors to finance the Grand Theater’s redevelopment. Stocco is seeing a lot of interest in the project, which would meet the co-op’s mission.
“Obviously, we want a financial return,” he said. “But there’s also a social return to it.”
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.