Miramar Theatre could reopen in April after venue operator gets new liquor license

Long-running east side venue the Miramar Theatre may be able to reopen next month.

The Miramar abruptly closed a few hours before a scheduled show Thursday due to a licensing issue and ownership battle between former business partners.

Miramar operator Aaron Ohlsson had been running the Miramar with a liquor license under the name of former Miramar owner William Stace, prompting the closure.

But on Tuesday, the city's Licenses Committee unanimously voted to approve a new liquor license for Ohlsson. A group of about 100 supporters packed inside the City Hall hearing room erupted in applause as the panel backed Ohlsson's license.

"I'm just excited to continue running the Miramar. It's a huge part of the community, and it would have been a shame to not be able to host events there anymore," Ohlsson said. "The Miramar is a staple for all of the east side. The Miramar is a staple for all of Wisconsin, and for the Midwest."

If Ohlsson's license wins approval from the full Common Council, the Miramar could reopen as soon as next month.

The committee approved the license on a 5-0 vote after denying Stace's application to renew his license. That move came after the building's owner said he would not rent to Stace.

"Obviously, this hearing didn't turn out the way I wanted," Stace said. "It was just kind of a shock. I got blindsided."

Promoters have been scrambling to relocate concerts slated for the 327-capacity venue, best known for hosting electronic dance music acts catering to nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students.

Ohlsson had told police that Stace was evicted after falling behind in his rent, according to a police report. But Stace disputed that account.

At Tuesday's meeting, Ohlsson said he had repeatedly loaned money to Stace because he wanted to help keep the Miramar open.

Ohlsson, who also runs EDM promotion company Brew City Bass, was Stace's partner at the Miramar for about seven years, and officially took over the lease in September.

David Halbrooks, a former assistant city attorney, first contacted Milwaukee police alleging the Miramar was operating illegally, asking police to close the venue or prohibit guests from entering.

Last year, Halbrooks went on a failed crusade to shut down Freaky Deaky, a two-day EDM festival at the Wisconsin Center in October. Halbrooks sent a series of letters to the Wisconsin Center District urging the event cancellation, beginning last June.

The building that houses the Miramar, at 2844 N. Oakland Ave., began as a movie theater in 1913. In 1954 it became the Fred Miller Theatre, named after the head of Miller Brewing Co. The theater hosted a series of Broadway shows and became the home base for the Milwaukee Rep during the company's early years in the 1960s. The venue was also a rock club called Metropole from the late '70s until the early '80s.

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Stace opened the Miramar in 1998, initially booking theater events. He changed the venue's business model about eight years ago to focus primarily on live music.

"I think for a lot of people it represents a sense of belonging," Alex Martinelli of React Presents said of the Miramar.