Site 1A closes ahead of license hearing
Police call for revocation after killing, violations
Just four days ahead of a hearing where its liquor and public entertainment licenses possibly could be pulled, Site 1A in the Third Ward has closed down permanently.
Operators of the four-year-old nightclub, at 231 E. Buffalo St., abruptly announced its final events beginning this past Friday on the club’s Facebook page, and hosted “one final celebration” Sunday night.
Friday is also when news broke that the Common Council’s Licenses Committee was set to host a special meeting at 9 a.m. this Thursday regarding Site’s license. Milwaukee police linked the homicide of Andra Nicholson Jr., 25, who was shot six times outside the bar at about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 6, to an argument Nicholson had inside the club with Caesar Fuentes, 23.
Fuentes has been charged with firstdegree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon. He has pleaded not guilty, according to online court records.
Police recommended that Site’s licenses be revoked, saying that it was operating after hours, and a gun was displayed inside the bar leading up to the homicide. Police also accuse Site owner Aaron Ohlsson of “misrepresentations” during the homicide investigation and claim there have been “ongoing nuisance issues and complaints surrounding the licensed premise.”
According to police documents, surveillance video showed Nicholson, Fuentes and six other patrons inside the bar past allowable operating hours, along with Ohlsson, a security guard and two bartenders.
Witnesses told police that the fight between Nicholson and Fuentes started over whose high school had the better basketball team. Nicholson’s uncle told police that he called for a ride home in the early hours of Dec. 6, saying he’d been punched by a man while at Site. Nicholson’s uncle told police that Fuentes had used a racial slur against Nicholson.
Nicholson was kicked out of the bar after hitting Fuentes. Shortly after 2:49 a.m., video showed Fuentes entering the bar, pulling out a handgun with an extended magazine and placing it on the bar near the two bartenders, one of whom appeared to see the weapon, according to the documents. Neither the bartenders nor Ohlsson contacted police.
Several witnesses told police they saw Fuentes go after Nicholson. Sound from the video reflects Ohlsson telling Fuentes, “I (f------ gave you a chance to beat the s--- out of that dude,” city documents state.
The Journal Sentinel reached out to Ohlsson but has yet to hear back. Ald. Robert Bauman said as of Monday morning that Thursday’s hearing regarding Site’s licenses was still on, but he was waiting to hear more information from the city attorney and licensing division.
Site, and Ohlsson’s other venue the Miramar Theatre, have had licensing issues before.
The Common Council voted in September to renew Site’s licenses with a 20-day suspension based on police reports regarding noise complaints, afterhours activity, and testimony of the applicant and members of the Common Council, according to city documents.
In February 2019, the licenses were renewed with a 10-day suspension, records state.
In 2018, the Miramar abruptly shut down for about a month, and was forced to cancel, postpone and relocate shows, because Ohlsson was operating the venue with a liquor license that had been issued to previous owner William Stace.
The Miramar is currently closed because of a city ordinance limiting gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the business is still in operation. Last month, Ohlsson was allocated a $40,356 grant for the Miramar from the $16.7 million Wisconsin Live Music and Entertainment program, established by Gov. Tony Evers to help venues struggling without events and revenue because of the pandemic.
“I have nothing on the books. I am barely talking to agents. I am barely talking with artists,” Ohlsson told the Journal Sentinel last month. “Your plans get canceled, and it’s not even worth it, so I am just sitting around waiting for whenever we get the green light to go back to work.”
The Miramar and Site 1A have been destination sites for electronic dance music fans in the city, and Ohlsson also runs his own EDM promotion company, Brew City Bass.
First opened as Oak Lounge in 2012 before rebranding as Site 1A, the 250capacity club in the Third Ward booked local and regional DJs and touring EDM acts. It also occasionally offered rare intimate sets from EDM stars that typically performed for thousands of fans, including the Chainsmokers, Kaskade and Zeds Dead.
Alison Dirr contributed to this report. Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
Piet also talks concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee. Hear it at 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMSFM (88.9), or wherever you get your podcasts.
“I have nothing on the books. I am barely talking to agents. I am barely talking with artists.” Aaron Ohlsson Owner of Site 1A