The day before J. Jeffers & Co. sticks shovels into the ground to launch phase four of its conversion of Racine’s former Horlick Malted Milk complex into Belle City Square, Summerfest has announced that the Milwaukee-based developer and investment firm is now also a Big Gig sponsor.
On Tuesday morning, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. announced a multi-year deal that will create the Jeffers Terrace, a premium hospitality area in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater that will be open to the public.
Located on South Concourse One of the Amp, Jeffers Terrace will be available as a concert upgrade during shows in the venue, via the AMPED UP package. The upgrade is purchased separately from concert tickets.
AMPED UP upgrades, available now, include access to the hospitality area, three beverages, dry snacks, free parking and entry an hour earlier than the general public via the private Club Gate.
“When my wife Megan and I founded J. Jeffers & Co. 11 years ago, our company’s mission was predicated on preserving and reimagining Milwaukee's most iconic buildings, as well as finding ways to enhance the communities within our hometown,” said Joshua Jeffers, founder and CEO.
The company has renovated buildings like the former Journal Sentinel, the Milwaukee Athletic Club, Clark Tower, the Mitchell and Mackie Buildings and others.
“We are honored to extend that commitment to include support of Summerfest, an event that positively impacts the community, along with expanding the amenities within the American Family Insurance Amphitheater.”
You can purchase the AMPED UP upgrade for concerts throughout the entire 2023 season (during Summerfest and not) at AmFamAmp.com, where you’ll find pricing details.
“Being able to add J. Jeffers & Co. as a new sponsor is significant to our organization,” said Milwaukee World Festival CEO Don Smiley. “We want to thank Josh, Megan and the team at J. Jeffers & Co. for their continued commitment to the community with this new sponsorship.
“It will allow us to offer our fans a unique concert experience by repurposing an existing area within the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, while continuing to maintain the world-class amenities at Henry Maier Festival Park.”
Phase four of the ambitious Belle City Square development, due for completion in summer 2024, will include two residential buildings – one renovation and one new construction – and historic rehabilitation of six buildings for commercial use.
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.
