Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Promise Bruce and John Hennessy of The New State
Promise Bruce and John Hennessy of The New State
The building that once housed the State Theater and the Palms nightclub, now known as The New State (2612 W. State St.), has seen its share of ups and downs. After a fire broke out in the building in 2017, it was nearly demolished, until a team of local creatives organized with the intent of renovating the Near West Side venue, which had hosted acts like The Ramones, The Plasmatics, U2 and more in its heyday.
As momentum built from the board, headed up by Janice Gaa, the COVID-19 pandemic not only affected thousands of already functioning music venues, but also delayed progress on The New State’s early stages of redevelopment. The board took the time of increased uncertainty to regroup, and things are looking brighter once again as they continue to seek funding into the back half of 2020.
”You have to understand the problem real well before you come up with the solution” said board member and real estate developer John Hennessy. “We laid out the skeleton for the project, and now we can get the architects and engineers in here to do detailed design work. Once we have that, we can start swinging hammers.”
Photo Credit: Allen Halas
The New State
The stage at The New State, formerly The Palms nightclub.
A lofty plan that includes not only a revitalized 400-seat music hall, but also a café, three recording studios, and a retail store with an adjacent park is now back in motion. The building will also work with local non-profits to create a curriculum for youth interested in the arts.
“More now than ever, our focus is looking to get this up and running. For the youth in Milwaukee, particularly people of color, there’s a dire need” said board member Promise Bruce. “There’s so much happening in this country this year, and that shows that people need outlets. People need places to escape, and we want The New State to be an environment where you can come record, learn, perform, and feel welcome.”
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Initially, The New State was hoping to be open by fall of this year. Due to the pandemic, Bruce and Hennessy feel as though construction will be delayed by about a year. New plans tentatively call for a fall 2021 opening with some of the core components of the theater, and more functionality into 2022. They hope that it will be a catalyst for the surrounding areas of the neighborhood.
“When you see a spark in one area, sometimes it spreads” said Bruce. “We hope people in this community will see that we’ve brought something back, and it’s something vibrant in this area, and they’ll take to it with a sense of pride.”
To find out more about The New State, including how to get involved in the project, you can visit their website.
