Madison-based FPC Live – FPC stands for Frank Productions Concerts – which promotes concerts and operates venues, will build a new indoor venue on a surface parking lot west of the Summerfest grounds, the company announced Thursday.
Construction on the venue – which will rise south of the Summerfest administration building – is tentatively slated to begin in early 2022.
The 1.25-acre site is owned by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. – producer of Summerfest.
FPC Live operates the High Noon Saloon, The Sylvee, The Orpheum and The Majestic Theater venues in Madison.
The 108,000-square foot building – which is expected to open after Summerfest 2023 – will house two venues, with capacities of up to 800 and 4,000 people and can host concerts all year long.
It was designed by Eppstein Uhen Architects, which has drawn most recent Summerfest projects and has its headquarters nearby.
Marquee Ventures, LLC, a third-party development company based in Madison, will develop the venue and lease it to FPC Live to operate.
It will be the first such indoor venue on or adjacent to the Summerfest grounds.
“Having venues of this caliber will make Milwaukee a must-play destination for all artists both at the developing level and those on the verge of playing arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums,” said Charlie Goldstone, one of the presidents of FPC Live, in a statement.
“We are excited to add these rooms to the city, connecting more artists to more fans in Milwaukee.”
Summerfest has been working with FPC Live to book performances at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater and BMO Harris Pavilion inside the Henry Maier Festival Park, including the 2022 Keith Urban show announced this week.
“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with FPC Live to increase access to live entertainment year-round,” said Don Smiley, president & CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
“Music fans are familiar with visiting the lakefront to see their favorite artists; these new venues will extend that experience.”
The plan will require approvals from both the Third Ward Historic Architectural Review Board and Harbor Commission.
In October, FPC, which is controlled by concert promotion giant Live Nation, announced a plan to reopen a large venue in South Carolina, too.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
