PumpHouse
Milwaukee
Summary
1st Street in Milwaukee's Bay View, opened in fall 2006 by Michael Murray and David Skwarek in a converted 1931 water pumping station. Aiming to recreate a Chicago-style video bar, it offered a marina-themed setting with decks, boat slips, upscale appetizers and local microbrews. The venue struggled to deliver the promised non-stop entertainment and lacked a dance floor.
The owners sold the business in 2007 to the operators of the Riviera Maya restaurant, and the property was sold again in May 2009, ending the PumpHouse. The building was later demolished.