A food truck park is proposed for the historical Humboldt Gardens site

Plans for a food truck park, bar and offices at a historical three-story building at Humboldt and North avenues are in the works, with hopes to open it in 2022.

Developer Clarence Morse is seeking licensing and Common Council approval for the project at 2249 N. Humboldt Blvd., originally a Schlitz tied-house tavern and later the site of Zak’s Tavern and other businesses.

Morse previously was the contractor for the Upstart Kitchen shared commercial kitchen on the north side, and his firm specializes in building restoration after fire and water damage. 

The building has extensive water damage from a leaky roof, Morse said. He plans to gut the interior and restore historical elements to the exterior, such as the conical roof that's missing from the corner tower. That roof has been missing since 1942, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. 

"We really want to restore it back to its historical glory," Morse said. 

"The building, we want to save," he said. "I love old buildings. My grandmother used to live in the neighborhood; I used to go by it on the way to the park, Kadish Park."

The business will be called Humboldt Gardens Gourmet, Humboldt Gardens being a reference to historical names for the site. The name might be tweaked slightly later, Morse said. 

The three-story building dates to 1891, according to city assessment records.

Morse's plan was among several contenders to develop the property in 2019, he said, and he was invited to resubmit his proposal after a plan by another developer to turn the vacant building into three condominiums fell through.

The City of Milwaukee had acquired the building through property tax foreclosure; it razed a damaged one-story building attached to the main structure.

That lot will be the courtyard for food trucks, similar to Zócalo Food Park in Walker's Point. Morse's application shows room for five trucks and a food cart.

The lot would have parking for bicycles but not cars. Plans also call for an outdoor stage for live music. The building's first floor would have a bar with seating for diners and restrooms. The building also will have a kitchen that vendors can use for food preparation.

The second floor would have offices for lease, and Morse's company, Dark Horse Development, would occupy the third floor, he said. The company's offices currently are in Walker's Point.

Morse, who expects the project to cost more than $500,000, said it would take a year or longer to get the building ready for occupancy.

Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.