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A complex of four buildings on a prominent East Side corner has been up for sale for a while and the listing is circulating again, especially on social media. The buildings, from 2012-2028 E. North Ave., have long been fixtures on the neighborhood's bar and dining scene.
The most recognizable part of the property is the three-story Romanesque revival building on on the northeast corner of Farwell and North Avenues that is home to G-Daddy’s BBC and was formerly Kiko’s. The other end of the complex is the building that most recently was home to The Hotel Foster, but has also housed The Globe, Live on North, The Boardwalk and other venues. In between are two smaller buildings, one of which was once the home of the East Side Library.
The entire complex is listed at $2,299,000 and includes, among its nearly 20,000 square feet of interior area, three bar/restaurant spaces and a third-floor office space.
Jim Plaisted, executive director of The East Side Business Improvement District, says the owner of the complex, Gary Johnson, is also the owner of G-Daddy's BBC.
Though there's no news of any impending closing on the BBC website or Facebook page, the assumption is the bar and restaurant could close once Johnson sells the building, depending on a new owner's vision for the property.
The sale of this complex could change the face of the neighborhood depending on how a new owner would put it to use, be it apartments, new bars or restaurants, retail, etc.
Beach calls the building, "a once in a lifetime opportunity," in the listing.
"This is arguably the best corner in the best neighborhood in Milwaukee. Milwaukee’s only Whole Foods is located immediately next to the property. It just sold for a record setting $412 (per square foot)!
"What a unique opportunity for the restaurateur or investor with multiple bar and restaurant concepts to showcase! There is nothing else like it in Milwaukee. ... I can’t imagine a better location for your bar, restaurant and brewpub business. The East Side is ... considered the cultural and trend-setting center of the city."
You can view the listing here.
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.
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 be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
