Planned restaurant conversion of former Menomonee Falls firehouse is getting village cash

The proposed $2 million conversion of a former Menomonee Falls fire station into a restaurant is receiving $170,000 in village financing help.

Chris Leffler, who operates Leff's Lucky Town in Wauwatosa and Revere's Wells Street Tavern in Delafield, plans to convert the historic 12,000-square-foot building, at N88 W16631 Appleton Ave., into a two-story restaurant and bar.

The Village Board last fall approved plans to sell the building for $1 to Leffler's group, Appleton 175 LLC.

The village had hoped to receive a $250,000 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. grant to help finance the project. But WEDC awarded a $79,300 grant, according to a village report.

So, the village is now planning to provide funds to make up that difference.

That includes a $44,500 grant, to be provided through the development's property tax revenue; a $40,000 grant from the village's Community Development Authority; a $63,500 reimbursement from the village for repaving a parking lot; and a $22,000 waiver of the project's water, sanitary sewer and fire impact fees.

The authority board approved the financing package on Monday, with the Village Board to review it on Monday night.

Leffler wants to open the restaurant this summer.

The Spanish Revival-style building was built in 1929 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was used as a fire station until 2015.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com, and followed on Twitter and Facebook.