Milwaukee Ballet sells former Walker’s Point site
Milwaukee Ballet Co. has sold its former Walker’s Point offices, school and rehearsal space to investors who plan to restore the historic building for retail and other new uses.
The two-story, 14,600-square-foot building, at 504 W. National Ave., was sold for $740,000 to an investor group affiliated with H&D Investments, according to state real estate records posted online Thursday.
H&D is owned by Daniel Herlache and Jordan Dimmer, according to a statement released by Milwaukee Ballet.
Dimmer is president of Advanced Restoration Inc., which specializes in restoring and preserving exterior façades of historic buildings such as the Pfister Hotel and Avalon Theater.
“What’s important to my company is retaining tradition while also looking towards the future. My family has a long association with Milwaukee Ballet, and we are thrilled to be the next generation of owners of this piece of the city’s history,” Dimmer said, in a statement.
The new owners plan to preserve the building’s historic integrity, and have already heard from several local businesses interested in renting space, the statement said.
“Milwaukee Ballet trusts the new owners will cherish the historic property’s legacy, creating a new and vibrant location within the Walker’s Point neighborhood,” said Managing Director Anne Metcalfe, in a statement.
The sale was brokered by CBRE Inc.’s Bill Bonifas, a Milwaukee Ballet board member, and Sandy Golden.
Milwaukee Ballet moved in 2019 to a new facility, Baumgartner Center for Dance, which it developed at 128 N. Jackson St., in the Historic Third Ward.
It then agreed to sell the property to an affiliate of NEWaukee, a firm that stages events and does business consulting.
NEWaukee planned to convert the building, constructed in 1901 as the Schlitz Tivoli Palm Garden tavern, into The Beacon — with space for NEWaukee’s operations as well as co-working offices and a restaurant.
But financing for that project through last year.
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