New Land eyes Whitefish Bay’s former Fox-Bay theater for redevelopment

Milwaukee-based New Land Enterprises announced they could transform the former Fox-Bay Cinema Grill into a live entertainment space by the end of 2024.

The developer is looking to recruit an operator for an event venue with a cocktail bar and restaurant at 334 E. Silver Spring Drive, explained Sheldon Oppermann, chief financial officer of New Land. He cited residents’ suggestions for a gathering space while presenting before the Whitefish Bay Community Development Authority.

The address was home to the Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, which first opened in 1951. The theater closed in fall of 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

New Land will send a national call for proposals for operators to run the theater and restaurant spaces, Oppermann said. The developer is looking for a company that can get the space open before the end of 2024. The request will be posted in December, Oppermann added.

The developer previously talked with several potential operators to run a movie theater, but Oppermann said they understood a movie theater might not have been a sustainable business option.

“We dug a little further and asked what was so important about the movie theater. We heard the village was looking for a place where people can meet and go with friends and families. There’s an emphasis placed on a showcase of the arts,” Oppermann added.

A floor plan presentation showed an art showcase in the entry area, a cocktail bar on the first floor and a restaurant on the second floor. The theater would support theater performances, music and comedy shows and celebrations such as birthday parties and weddings.

Oppermann said renovations will commence in the next several months. Crews will install an elevator to the second floor.

A month and a half ago, vandals broke into the theater and “destroyed the place,” Oppermann said. The building didn’t have an alarm because of its age, he noted.

According to a listing, the former Fox-Bay has around 18,400 square feet of potential dining and entertainment space. The entire building is around 48,369 square feet.

New Land has been trying to renew the building with retail spaces such as a hair salon and two spas. Northwestern Mutual opened an office on the second floor. Oppermann said the developer will have spent more than $2 million improving the former theater building.

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