Plan for new music venue near Summerfest grounds scrapped

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new music venue will not be coming to the area near the Summerfest grounds. 

Milwaukee World Festival and music promoter FPC Live announced the new indoor venue in December, saying the new facility would contain two venues that can hold 800 and 4,000 people.

On Friday, May 13, both organizations announced that the site is no longer under consideration. 

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. released the following statement:

“Henry Maier Festival Park is Milwaukee’s home for live music, showcasing a diverse line-up of artists every summer for over fifty years. With this legacy in mind, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) was exploring the prospect of adding to our community’s music scene through the proposed indoor venue being developed by Frank Productions on land owned by MWF.
Accordingly, the parties have determined for multiple reasons, not to pursue the site adjacent to Henry Maier Festival Park for this proposed venue. MWF will continue to focus on its core business of producing Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, as well as providing our community with a full summer calendar of ethnic and cultural festivals along with special events. This also includes an ongoing partnership with FPC to co-promote concerts at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater and BMO Harris Pavilion, continuing to bring blockbuster artists to Milwaukee’s lakefront.”

FPC Live released the following statement:

“After a thorough process, we have determined that the site available near Henry Maier Festival Park is no longer under consideration for our proposed two-venue development in Milwaukee. We remain committed to developing this state-of-the-art project in Milwaukee, preparing the city for the next several decades of live entertainment, and we will announce more details in due time,” said Charlie Goldstone, President of FPC Live. “We remain dedicated to the Milwaukee live music landscape, we’re thrilled with our continuing partnership with MWF, and look forward to promoting concerts at the lakefront and throughout Milwaukee for years to come.”

Some businesses and residents in the area opposed the plan.

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