Former east side office space may become venue
A former office on Milwaukee’s east side would be converted into a neighborhood-oriented events venue under a new proposal pending before city officials.
The 4,500-square-foot space, 1818 N. Farwell Ave., has been remodeled to host weddings, parties and other catered events, said Tim Gokhman, development director at New Land Enterprises LLP.
New Land, which operates the space, also plans to add a commercial kitchen, Gokhman said Thursday.
The firm is seeking a special use permit from the Milwaukee Board of
Zoning Appeals. The board is to consider that request at its April 2 meeting.
The proposed venue was made available when New Land in 2019 moved its offices from that space to its new Urbanite mixed-use building, 1840 N. Farwell Ave.
In gutting that former office, New Land found exposed brick, exposed metal trusses and high ceilings with the one-story building, Gokhman told the Journal Sentinel.
“It’s really cool space,” he said. The venue would be available to the public.
It also could serve as space to host events catered by the food vendors at Crossroads Collective, Gokhman said.
New Land in 2018 opened that food hall at 2238 N. Farwell Ave.
The goal of the planned new venue “is to grow the existing restaurants inside of Crossroads (so they may eventually need their own storefront) by giving them exposure to groups of people, some existing customers, many new customers and their guests,” the zoning board filing said.
“The business is also expected to serve as an amenity for the many existing apartment buildings in the neighborhood that don’t have a common area community room or event space within their building because they are older and smaller buildings,” it said.