If, like me, you pass the old Wildenberg Hotel at the former Jacob Nunnemacher estate, 3774 S. 27th St., notice it crumbling a little more with each passing month, and have wondered what’s up, well there’s been some hopeful news (again) recently.
Last year, after the Department of City Development spent years of seeking a buyer who would restore the place, the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission approved the plan of Cafe India owner Rakesh Rehan to renovate the existing 1856 Italianate building – the last remnant of the large rural property of butcher and real estate investor Jacob Nunnemacher – and build a single-story addition at the back.
Rehan hoped to open a bar, restaurant, patio and, especially, a 10,000-square-foot banquet hall. But when he got a chance to buy the Crowne Plaza Hotel adjacent to I-94 on 13th and College, which already has a banquet facility, he shifted his focus there and bought it this past spring.
That’s why the fenced-off Wildenberg – which nowadays stands out since it is by far the oldest structure on the street full of strip malls, former car dealerships and big box stores – has continued to sit vacant and seemingly untouched.
Now a new developer, Mandeep Dhawan – who owns convenience stores and gas stations in the area – has stepped in and brought a plan for a sports-themed restaurant and bar, with a volleyball court, and a 5,000-square-foot banquet room to the commission for approval, which he received, unanimously, at the HPC’s Aug. 4. meeting.
The developer plans to restore the exterior of the historic building, and Stack Design Group has done the design work.
“All the visible cream city brick will be repaired and restored including the replacement and reconstruction of the two brick chimneys that have been patched with a brick that does not match the original building,” noted Stack’s Thomas Stachowiak.
“There are portions of the original roof cupola remaining. The renovation includes the complete recreation of this original roof adornment. The existing (non-original) front entry canopy will be removed. The existing grade will be lowered at the front of the building so that the original front porch can be recreated.”
The rear addition would now be 14,000 square feet across two stories (though the second story would be tucked behind the existing building), and Dhawan would also build a small retail building on the property.
“The addition is designed to not overpower the stature of the original building,” according to Stachowiak, who added that the addition is, “designed to be similar in detail and complement the architectural character of the original building.”
Here's hoping this plan moves forward.
The city acquired the property in a tax foreclosure and the Wildenberg Hotel and bar closed the following year. In 2015, a motor home park was removed.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.