The Milwaukee Police Department is planning to lease the building that formerly housed Duke’s on Water.
The police department has applied to operate a space in the southeastern corner of the first floor, along with basement storage, at 1207 N. Water St., according to City of Milwaukee property records.
Duke’s on Water and adjoining bar Varsity closed earlier this year. The bars were located at 154-158 E. Juneau Ave., on the first floor of the 1207 N. Water St. building that’s also home to other businesses and apartments.
In an email, an MPD spokesperson said the department “is in conversation with the property investors about an appropriate public safety use of the space.”
The department declined to share specifics about how the space might be used but said it’s reviewing plans.
According to an occupancy-permit application, the MPD plans to close the opening between Duke’s and Varsity, using only the portion that formerly housed Duke’s.
Owners of Duke’s and Varsity announced both bars were closing in May. At that time, the bars’ general manager, Tim Sluga, told the Journal Sentinel the building had been sold and the bars’ owners couldn’t come to terms on a new lease with the building’s owners.
Sluga and his business partners bought Duke’s and Varsity, formerly known as Scooter’s, in 2024 from co-owners Andrea Shafton and James Baade. Shafton also owns the building, according to online records.
However, the closure came at a time when Water Street businesses have been under scrutiny for downtown violence. In recent years, several shootings have occurred near the bar, including a March 22 shooting that killed one person and injured two others. That shooting also prompted elected officials to pursue an earlier curfew on food trucks, which led to a lawsuit and was blocked by a judge.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Police Department planning to use closed Water Street bar
Reporting by Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
