Sept. 30–A six-story Hyatt Place hotel has been proposed to be built near the Milwaukee Bucks new arena in the development of the last open piece of land in the former Pabst Brewery redevelopment.
Janko Group of Deerfield, Ill., is proposing to build a 150-room hotel at the eastern edge of The Brewery development, just west of the construction site for the new arena, said Gregory Spanos, managing director of Janko Group.
If the city approves the project, construction could start next spring, and the hotel would open in 2018, Spanos said.
The approval and start of construction of the Bucks arena helped spur the selection of this location.
"When we initially started pursuing opportunities in Milwaukee and in this area, the arena was being talked about, but as that became more real, this site and this opportunity became more attractive to us," said Spanos.
The one-acre site is "the gateway to the brewery," sitting at the western edge of a roundabout that links W. Juneau Ave., W. Winnebago St. and N. 7th St.
Janko Group also is an investor in other hotels in Wisconsin, one in Madison and another in Middleton that it acquired in 2008.
The Brewery complex includes a variety of uses, from apartments and a brewery to offices and another hotel, the Brewhouse Inn and Suites.
"What the Zilbers envisioned for The Brewery district has really now come to fruition," Spanos said. "This is really the last parcel."
Real estate developer and philanthropist Joseph J. Zilber bought the vacant Pabst complex 10 years ago and began to contemplate its redevelopment. Zilber passed away in 2010.
The hotel would also be near the retail and entertainment developments that are envisioned as part of the arena entertainment district, he said.
As part of the development, plans submitted to the city indicate that a terraced public plaza would be built in front of the hotel, adjacent to the roundabout.
"This terraced plaza includes walking paths, as well a gathering space for hotel guests directly adjacent to the Hyatt; it also provides a prominent public amenity for the enjoyment of pedestrians along the public way," says the submission to the city, prepared by the Norr architectural firm. "The terraced plaza also includes a prominent location for the historic Pabst Veteran's Monument; this monument will be placed here and rededicated."
