Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.

• Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder, “Where are they building luxury apartments in Milwaukee that I’ll never be able to afford this week?” Of course you do.

This week, the answer is Water Street, along the Milwaukee River near Brady Street. The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that Wangard Partners Inc. is planning a $21 million, four-story apartment building in the once-barren area. “It certainly would be considered luxury apartment units, which would make sense on the river,” Wangard president Wayne Wiertzema was quoted as saying. A second phase of the development project could also include a tower with 10 to 12 stories.

• The Journal Sentinel is instituting yet another round of voluntary buyouts, said the Milwaukee Business Journal. Oh, and those buyouts have nothing to do with the paper’s recent acquistion by Gannett. Nope, nothing at all. “The voluntary separation program is not related to the Gannett transaction,” Journal Media spokeswoman Laurel Jahn said.

In other JS news, Journal Media Group CEO and president Tim Stautberg stands to make a cool $4.56 million from the deal after having worked for the company for less than a year.

Urban Milwaukee profiled “The Spot 4MKE”—a.k.a. that empty parking lot on 5th and Wisconsin that occasionally features some picnic tables and chalk art—and wondered if the grant-winning “placemaking” project is attracting enough people.

Stereogum premiered the deeply awesome video for Busdriver’s “Much,” directed by WC Tank. The Los Angeles rapper and Milwaukee filmmaker/rapper last collaborated on the video for “Motion Lines.”

• Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge owner John Dye is now the owner of The Jazz Estate, too. OnMilwaukee talked to Dye about his plans for the venerable East Side venue (mostly small cosmetic changes) and revealed a timeline for the projected re-opening (March).

• A new craft brewery, Third Space Brewing, will open in the Menomonee Valley in summer 2016, revealed the Milwaukee Business Journal. The brewery will be operated by Milwaukee native Kevin Wright, and will be located at 1505 W. St. Paul Avenue.

• The Source premiered a sun-drenced video for Vincent VanGREAT’s “Killer Steez.” The song is from VanGREAT’s upcoming debut LP, UnGREATful.

• The Shepherd “Chris Abele Is A Big Meanie Poo-Poo Head” Express investigated some city slogans from Milwaukee’s past.

• Evan Rytlewski of said Shepherd talked to Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy about their upcoming LP, #Raplords, due November 10.

• The Rashita Joneses debuted a glitchy video for the equally glitchy “White Wave.” The song comes from the group’s upcoming Bang Bang! Lasagna EP, due November 20.

• Manitowoc’s Herald Times Reporter dropped in on the set of Depth Of Field, an new horror/thriller from Milwaukee filmmaker Tate Bunker.

Milwaukee Magazine food critic Ann Christenson and 88Nine DJ Tarik Moody kicked off a new local dining radio segment, dubbed This Bites. The segment will air on 88Nine every Friday at 8 a.m.

• This week’s concert announcements: GGOOLLDD, Canopies, and Rio Turbo at Turner Hall January 9; Lewis Black at Pabst Theater May 13; Blake Shelton at Summerfest July 1; Twenty One Pilots at BMO Harris Pavilion July 30; Maroon 5 at BMO Harris Bradley Center October 1.

About The Author

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Co-Founder and Editor

Matt Wild weighs between 140 and 145 pounds. He lives on Milwaukee's east side.