The news comes just a little over a year after the deal was first announced. At the time, Hughes and McQuillan thought they would close on the purchase in February 2020 and set out on an ambitious plan to open in time for the July 2020 Democratic National Convention. “If it works out great, we would love to. If we miss it, unfortunately, we miss it,” said Hughes at the time.
But as it turned out, almost everyone, including
Joe Biden, missed the Milwaukee DNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the project is still moving forward.
Over the past year, the partners applied for a series of permits to advance the redevelopment. The applications indicate the distillery is working with architecture firm HGA on a $500,000 overhaul.