Condos could replace Sheboygan's Pier 17 restaurant
Once a beautiful restaurant along the Sheboygan Riverfront, now an eyesore
SHEBOYGAN — A developer with a history of building apartments in Milwaukee has purchased the former Pier 17 restaurant along the Sheboygan River.
Milwaukee developer Tom Schafer and Paul Gottsacker, owner of Gottsacker Commercial Real Estate, have owned the property since 2020. A person with direct knowledge of the plans confirmed to WKTS News that the men had originally intended to demolish the building and build condos with retail space on the first floor of the new building. Both men could not be reached for comment for this story. Schafer, owner of Bayside Development, does not respond to media inquires. Gottsacker previously served on the city's Historic Preservation Commission.
The 7,500-square-foot building was built in 1988 by visionary Madison developer John P. Livesey as part of the Sheboygan Riverfront Revival Project. He sold the building to Bill Dawson, who operated Brisco County Wood Grill after Randall’s Riverfront closed in 1998. Livesey was a key player of today’s Harbor Centre District. He proposed the $100 million Sheboygan City Centre, which called for demolishing much of Downtown Sheboygan and building an enclosed shopping center, two office high-rises and parking garages. Livesey died in 2017 at the age of 75.1
Chad Pelishek, the city’s former Director of Planning & Development, had an idea of what Schafer and Gottsacker had planned in April 2021 but did not feel comfortable discussing it in public with the city’s Redevelopment Authority. Schafer and Gottsacker were encouraged to attend a future meeting to share the project with the Sheboygan Redevelopment Authority in order to maintain a good working relationship with them but they never did. Meanwhile, the restaurant has become an eyesore on Sheboygan’s Riverfront.
In rough shape
The interior and exterior of the riverfront restaurant is in rough shape and officials with the City of Sheboygan are aware of the eyesore. Last year, the city’s Building Inspection Department found the property in violation and directed the owners to repair and paint the exterior of the building, something that has not been done as of publication of this story. The inspector also directed Schafer and Gottsacker to remove barrels, trash and debris from the property.
The outdoor patio, with beautiful views of the Sheboygan River and the South Pier District, is weathered and green garden fencing acts as a railing. Windows are busted out on a door and what appears to be holes in the ceiling and walls were observed. Also observed is peeling paint on the exterior of the building, a three-foot high pile of trash and debris scattered on the floor.
When the building was listed for sale in 2019, the asking price was $929,000. The listing boosted a 2014 remodel, four dedicated boat slips and 92 parking spaces.2
Months after Schafer and Gottsacker purchased the building, rumors surfaced in 2021 that suggested the building would be demolished due to mold.
6 names since 1988
Before Pier 17, the building was home to Four Torches, Randall’s Riverfront, Riverfront Stadium, Brisco County Wood Grill and DJ's Sports Bar. Appleton restaurateur George Wall opened the Four Torches restaurant in June 1988 and closed 15 months later, in October 1989. Earlier that year, $6,000 was taken during an overnight burglary. The Sheboygan Police Department never made an arrest in that case. Mayor Richard Schneider was "absolutely shocked" when he heard the restaurant had closed. When it opened, the dining room had seating for 150 people and a banquet room seated another 80 customers.
Randall's Frozen Custard owner Carl H. Rickmeier, Jr. opened Randall's Riverfront Sports Emporium in May 1990 to rave reviews. Three years after Rickmeier’s death, the location closed in April 1998. Barry Lester, who was general manager of Sheboygan Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, would briefly operate Riverfront Stadium until Bill Dawson opened Brisco County Wood Grill in May 1999. After nearly 15 years in business, Brisco County abruptly closed in November 2013.
14 months after Brisco County Wood Grill abruptly closed, owner John Stange opened Pier 17 in January 2015. Pier 17 is a reference to the sum of 539, the address of the building on Riverfront Drive. Darren Weimann was the general manager of DJ's Sports Bar inside Pier 17 when it opened in November 2016. Just like it’s predecessor, Pier 17 abruptly closed in 2019.
Riverfront Revival
City officials have tried, with one scheme or another, to make Sheboygan a travel destination. Plans to transform the Sheboygan Riverfront first emerged in 1966. But when federal urban renewal funds became available, city officials decided to construct Plaza 8 in Downtown Sheboygan instead of revitalizing the riverfront. City planners long had their eyes 38-acres along the river but it was not until 1988 when construction began.
Livesey was instrumental in developing the Sheboygan Riverfront. Branded today as the Harbor Centre District, the $8 million project broke ground in 1987. The project included the Pier 17 restaurant, the Prairie States office building at Riverfront Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue as well as two other office buildings near the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce. Today, much of the land is still owned by Redevelopment Authority and leased to businesses.
Follow WKTS News on Facebook and X for the latest local news.
Sources
Madison developer John P. Livesey dead at 75
Wisconsin State Journal