They say that hindsight is 20/20.

Two years ago Cactus Club owner Eric Uecke was going head to head with Bay View Ald. Tony Zielinski -- as well as many of the club's immediate neighbors -- over the proposed expansion and renovation of his venue at 2596 S. Wentworth Ave.

After a long, laborious scrimmage, the expansion -- which would have nearly tripled capacity of the small, 100-year-old tavern, was denied by the Common Council's Utilities & Licenses Committee in September 2005. Uecke, like many of his avid supporters, was furious.

Fast forward to summer 2007. The Cactus Club has been closed since July 5 for renovations. It will reopen Aug. 10, but it is not expanding one square foot. If you ask Uecke about it, he won't say that he lost his battle two summers ago. Instead, he'll tell you about his change of heart and how much better his bar will be because of it.

"It was a really bad time," says Uecke. "But probably the best thing that's ever happened to me professionally was not being able to do the expansion. It allowed me to rethink everything and come up with a better plan."

His new and improved vision for the rock 'n' roll bar he's owned for the past 11 years is completely internal -- a plan that saves him the huge cost of knocking down walls and allows his budget to be used to on an impressive renovation.

Aside from a massive scrubbing from top to bottom and a few fresh coats of paint, the most obvious changes you'll notice will be structural. The single door connecting the bar to the stage area is expanding into double French doors that remain closed while bands play. On nights without live music the doors stay open, revealing a back room with temporary seating, vintage R&B music and a mellow mood; a great getaway for a glass of wine.

Let us reiterate that. Yes, the new Cactus Club will have a wine list, compiled exclusively for the bar by Groppi's  Andy Wilde. Uecke says his menu is also growing to include a martini list and craft beers on tap.

If the needle just scraped across the proverbial record and came to a screeching silence, allow Uecke to explain the upgrade:

"I think it's going to be one of the most stunningly simple, classy without being arrogant looking places in the city of Milwaukee. The aesthetic is totally about elegant simplicity with an aura of, 'We know what's going on. We know music. Please come appreciate it with us.'"

As a reference point, Uecke mentions Bay View's newest addition, Burnhearts, 2599 S. Logan Ave.

"(Burnhearts) did exactly what needed to be done -- raise the bar a little farther, because no one else was going to do it. I think all of our regulars love the idea of the Cactus, but physically and structurally, the idea of the Cactus Club is an unrealized idea that we all have been living with. I'm not going to sell out, but there are a lot of older hipsters that just don't go in there because it's a sh*thole. Burnhearts proved that my crowd does indeed like nicer things. That whole CBGB chic is good, I like it, but it's not enough for me to send my boy to school, and it's always been about him."

Now guided in what he feels is the venue's ideal direction, he says his newfound resourcefulness is what is going to keep the Cactus Club a true Milwaukee institution.

"Today, when I look back, it was an unrealistic challenge. The neighbors didn't want it, so the alderman was thrown in the middle and had to say, 'Tripling your capacity in a beautiful neighborhood like this is not the way to go.' At the time, I was angry, but now I realize he was just doing his job.

"Now he's supporting me so heavily that he'll stop by my house and we'll talk about him finding me grants to make the outside look as nice as the inside is going to. He's honestly probably one of the hardest working aldermen in the city, and was really looking out for the people. I learned a lot from him."