The Fitzgerald could be denied licenses
Pabst wedding venue subject of complaints
A downtown Milwaukee wedding venue owned by Pabst Theater Group would not get its operating licenses under a city panel’s new recommendation.
The Fitzgerald, under its previous ownership as Villa Filomena, for 17 years has hosted weddings and other private events at 1119 N. Marshall St.
A Pabst Theater Group affiliate bought the property in July for $1.55 million, according to state real estate records.
Pabst renamed the building, a former mansion built in 1874, as The Fitzgerald — a reference to its first owner, Great Lakes ship captain Robert PatSentinel rick Fitzgerald. And it continued to host weddings this summer.
But, that business now appears in peril after the Common Council’s Licenses Committee recommended denying a tavern license and public entertainment license for The Fitzgerald.
That committee’s vote came Tuesday night after a public hearing that included complaints from neighbors about noise from the venue.
That vote was supported by Ald. Robert Bauman, whose district includes the venue. The full council could review the recommendation at its Oct. 11 meeting.
Pabst Theater Group Chief Executive Officer Gary Witt didn’t respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
A statement from Mario Sanfillipo, whose family operated the venue as Villa Filomena, said not allowing The Fitzgerald to operate would be “doing a huge disservice to the community and culture of Milwaukee.”
Bauman told the Milwaukee Journal
that he opposed the licenses for The Fitzgerald based on testimony from neighbors “and trouble with recent events.”
The Fitzgerald operates on an otherwise residential block.
“These residents have a legitimate right to quiet enjoyment,” Bauman wrote in comments to the Licenses Committee. “They elect me. I have no choice but to advocate for their concerns.”
Pabst, in its operating plan submitted to the committee, said any music playing outside The Fitzgerald would end by 6 p.m., with indoor music “turned down to a reasonable level” at 10 p.m. and stopped by 11 p.m.
The plan also said The Fitzgerald, along with hosting weddings, could also host ticketed cultural events, such as dance events and plays.
The venue “will not be used as a concert hall,” the plan said.