The restaurant at Turner Hall, a historic building at 1034 N. 4th St. in downtown Milwaukee located across the street from the BMO Harris Bradley Center, will not open for the upcoming winter sports season, BMO Harris Bradley Center president Steve Costello announced Tuesday.
“We have jointly agreed with the Turner Ballroom Preservation Trust that we will not reopen Turner Hall Restaurant for the coming season,” Costello said. “We are turning our full focus to working with the new Milwaukee Bucks ownership and our other tenants to enhance the fan experience inside our building.”
New Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens are working on plans for new arena that the NBA says is necessary for Milwaukee to keep an NBA franchise long term. Plans for a new arena put the future of the BMO Harris Bradley Center, built in 1988, in doubt.
“While we have had success in helping re-establish Turner Hall as a great place to gather for food and fun before BMO Harris Bradley Center events, our future focus must remain on the BMO Harris Bradley Center,” Costello said. “Our building’s challenges are well-known. At this point in the life of the Center, and with new Bucks ownership in place, it makes more sense to devote our energy and resources to working with them to draw fans back to the stands and recapture the building’s energy. There’s a lot of excitement about the upcoming season, and we look forward to doing everything we can within our walls to provide the very best live entertainment experience possible.”
Turner Hall, built in 1883, is also used for concerts, gymnastics, rock climbing and community forums.
The restaurant at Turner Hall closed in 2010 after it had been operated by R.C. Schmidt. Then in 2012 it was reopened by the BMO Harris Bradley Center under an agreement to lease the space from the Milwaukee Turners and the Turner Ballroom Preservation Trust.
The restaurant was closed during the summer, except for private events, and opened during the winter sports season to serve patrons attending events at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
“We have enjoyed our two-year relationship with Turner Hall Restaurant and we wish the Trust all the best in the future,” Costello said. “Turner Hall is a beautiful building and an important part of our city’s rich heritage. It holds solid potential for the right operator.”
