Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• Remember that old “Say ‘Yes’ to Martini & Rossi on the rocks” commercial? Okay, neither do we, but Joel references it in the I Accuse My Parents episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Anyway, Milwaukee was saying anything but “Yes” this week, staring off with a surprise food truck ban on Brady Street. According to Urban Milwaukee, Ald. Nik Kovac received unanimous approval for the ban at a Common Council meeting on Tuesday. The reason for the ban?
“In many cases the food trucks are selling the same food as the brick-and-mortar businesses and parking right in front of them,” Kovac told the council. He also noted the trucks occupy a number of parking spaces along the busy street.
An update to the Urban Milwaukee story notes that the Brady Street BID is “currently working with the board on ways that we can accommodate the business owners’ request, but also allow food trucks to be on the street with added restrictions.”
• In more “NO” news, Miller Park will soon become one of 14 Major League Baseball stadiums to go entirely tobacco-free. You mean you’ll no longer be able to smoke a cig while tailgating in the parking lot, you ask, while lighting up a cig in the parking lot? Nope, this means that professional baseball players—a.k.a. adults—will no longer be able to use chewing tobacco during games. According to FOX6, the ban (which technically extends to all Milwaukee sports stadiums) was approved by the Common Council back in November, and goes into effect Opening Day. The reason for the ban?
“Youth will no longer see baseball players using a deadly and addictive product on the field when they attend games at Miller Park or elsewhere in Milwaukee,” Sue Marten, coordinator of the Tobacco-Free Suburban Milwaukee & Ozaukee coalition said in the statement. “That’s good for baseball players and good for our kids who view them as role models.”
• And finally in “NO,” holy fucking shit, a few developers are actually putting the brakes on some luxury apartments. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Royal Capital Group LLC is hoping to downsize its plan for 200 “higher-end” apartments in Brewers Hill, while a 12-story, 164-unit development in Walker’s Point has been canceled altogether. The reason for the latter?
A proposal to develop a large upscale apartment building in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood has been canceled, with the developer citing both an oversupply of new apartment units as well as rising construction costs.
• Oh, one more “NO” story. Looks like the Milwaukee County Transit System probably won’t be operating the Milwaukee Streetcar. A proposal to extend the deadline for the contract to run the thing was voted down by the Common Council on Tuesday, meaning MCTS has only a week to apply. MCTS says it will throw its hat in the ring anyway, but, according to spokesman Brendan Conway, “because of the short time frame and the necessary streetcar experience the city is seeking, it is unlikely MCTS will win the bid.” [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The Platinum Boys’ new album Buzz is out, and it’s fucking awesome. [Bandcamp]
• WebsterX’s new album Daymares is out, and it’s fucking incredible. [Soundcloud]
• Midnight Reruns’ new album Spectator Sports is out, and it’s fucking perfect. [Bandcamp]
• The last building from the old Gettelman Brewery is scheduled for demolition. MillerCoors, which owns the 19th-century west side building, plans to turn the site “into a staging area for truck transit.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• In better brewery news, a new one, Broken Bat Brewing, will open April 7 in the Historic Third Ward. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• A sports bar dubbed Tha Circle recently opened in the former home of Treats Tavern. [OnMilwaukee]
• Wine Maniacs on the River has closed. [OnMilwaukee]
• Northwestern Mutual will be the first-ever presenting sponsor of NEWaukee’s Young Professional Week (or YPWeek if you’re young and professional). The 6th annual event is set for April 22-29. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!