A New Life for Old Breweries
Our previous post on the origin of Pabst’s blue ribbon got me thinking about the current state of the former Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Pabst left Milwaukee in 1996 after more than 100 years of brewing and the 18.4 acre site, which is listed on the National Historic Register, remained unoccupied until 2006, when its 16 decaying buildings were saved from becoming yet another industrial ruin. The late developer and philanthropist Joseph J. Zilber bought the entire property with the aim of transforming one of the city’s most prominent locales into one of the city’s most prominent neighborhoods.
After taking years to thoroughly and safely clean the site, development is now underway. One of the first development projects on the site, the Blue Ribbon Apartments, includes live/work spaces for artists and amenities such as a music studio, workshop, theater, fitness center and community space. Future plans for the Brewery development include additional apartments, senior housing, over a million square feet of retail and office space, a hotel, and educational facilities, including a 50,000 square foot building to house the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Public Health. The Brewery aims to be “one of urban America’s premier sustainable neighborhoods” and is currently on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification.
Pabst isn’t the only former beer maker in Milwaukee. Other former brew sites in the city have been repurposed and reprogrammed. Parts of the old Blatz brewery have been turned into luxury apartments while the former home of Schlitz, “the Beer that made Milwaukee famous,” is now a middle school and office park.