Milwaukee Symphony conversion of downtown theater now includes a building addition and parking lot

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's plans to convert downtown's former Warner Grand Theatre now include an addition to accommodate dressing rooms and other uses — and its own parking lot.

The symphony in December completed its acquisition of the former cinema, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. It plans to convert the building into new rehearsal and performance hall by fall 2020.

MSO as of December had raised $93.5 million of the $120 million needed for the $80 million project and to increase its endowment.

As part of that project, the theater needs to be expanded to the north to provide additional space for dressing rooms, loading docks and other back-of-house uses, according to a new Department of City Development report.

The orchestra will be purchasing a portion of parking lots at 215 W. Wells St. and 735 N. 2nd St. to accommodate that three-story, 32,200-square-foot addition.

Those parking lots are owned by MVP Milwaukee Wells LLC, an affiliate of Las Vegas-based parking lot operator MVP Real Estate Investment Trust Inc.

To help facilitate that land sale, the city Redevelopment Authority would sell its nearby parking lots, at 738 and 744 N. Old World 3rd St., to MVP.

Those lots, totaling 11,250 square feet, would be sold for $388,035, according to the city report.

They would be combined with MVP's adjacent parking lots at 746-752 N. Old World 3rd St., and replace the parcels sold to MSO. 

"The newly formed property will be made into a new surface parking lot," the report said, "with the sole purpose of facilitating the MSO’s Grand Theater project."

The parking lot is south of West Wells Street, between North Old World 3rd Street and North 2nd Street.

The 126-space lot would provide a convenient location for MSO patrons to park, said Susan Loris, executive vice president. But it wouldn't be the only option, she said.

"We continue to work with the owners of well over 2,000-plus spaces nearby to create a plan that allows our patrons to access easy parking," Loris said.

Other options would include a valet service and dedicated drop off areas, she said.

The Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday approved the land sale, which also needs Common Council approval. That could come at its May 8 meeting.

Loris said fundraising is continuing, and MSO hopes to soon begin the building renovations.

That work was to start this month, but has been delayed pending the parking lot transaction.

The symphony hall project includes a glassy, two-story addition to the historic theater at the site of the former Kiku restaurant, 202 W. Wisconsin Ave., which is to be demolished.

Also, the theater will be expanded to the east, onto North 2nd Street, to accommodate a bigger stage.

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