For readers old enough to remember the late 1970's (which excludes all of the engineers at HotPads.com) a historic parcel of real estate featured on an iconic TV series is becoming relevant once again.
The former Pabst brewery location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which has been vacant for five years, is set to reopen for its first occupants next year. A local businessman is working to redevelop the run-down section of his home town. The project is one of the many efforts aimed at revitalizing downtown Milwaukee.
The site includes a location that was made famous in the TV series "Laverne & Shirley" which ran from 1976 to 1983.
The city is in desperate need of a spark. Average rents in the Milwaukee region lag behind national averages based on 54 major U.S. markets. This extends to the office, retail, warehouse and rental apartment sectors. The city is the hub of a Midwest region that has battled slow job growth and a shrinking population as traditional jobs in industry dried up over the last decade or more.
However, if this project does not bring about the sought-after rejuvenation of downtown Milwaukee, the city has a backup plan; the civic association Visit Milwaukee has raised over $45,000 to erect a statue of the Fonz, AKA Arthur Fonzarelli in the city's downtown. (I'm praying that nobody reading this, regardless of age, needs to be told who the Fonz is.)
Let's hope that these efforts work, and that this great city has not jumped the shark.
I think it excludes Marketing, Operations, and Client Services departments too :)
Posted by: Colleen Corgan | Friday, September 28, 2007 at 12:47 PM