News

English-style pub planned for St. Francis
July 15, 2005
Pete Millard
Full Article: Milwaukee seeks proposals for north side development

Avalon Investment Group, Milwaukee, has purchased a 6,000-square-foot industrial building on Packard Avenue in St. Francis for $225,000 and will convert the property into an English-style pub and restaurant.

Eric Ellsworth and Michael Rusch, the principals of Holloway Road L.L.C., will lease the building, 3807 S. Packard Ave., from Avalon and spend $500,000 to renovate the property. The Holloway Road partners plan to open an English beer garden and restaurant called Carleton Grange. Avalon purchased the former industrial building from Barbara Barczak, Milwaukee.

"There's not a lot of casual dining or drinking establishments nearby and the population density of the area is exploding," Ellsworth said.

Carleton Grange will be one block north of East Howard Avenue and will overlook Lake Michigan. The restaurant/pub is less than a mile from several apartment and condominium buildings being built in St. Francis.

Kimball Hill Homes, Rolling Meadows, Ill., is building a $315 million condominium, apartment and senior housing complex that will have more than 800 units. Thomson Corp., Brookfield, is building a 150-unit apartment complex south of the Kimball Hill projects. Farther west, Lenz Realty Developments, Hales Corners, and Supreme Builders, West Allis, are constructing apartments and condominiums for more than 200 families.

Wispark Corp. is also working with We Energies to redevelop a former utility yard on 140 acres west of South Lake Drive along East Howard Avenue. Wispark and We Energies are subsidiaries of Wisconsin Energy Corp., Milwaukee. The utility yard is the largest parcel of undeveloped land in St. Francis.

"We think Carleton Grange is also in a good position to take advantage of the pending Wispark development," said Ellsworth.

Ellsworth and Rusch, who met while studying international business at London's Metropolitan University, have St. Francis Common Council approval to renovate and open their English beer garden and restaurant this fall.