Wauwatosa committee approves three-year event management contract for Mollner Building

The Wauwatosa City Financial Affairs Committee approved a three-year contract with two optional one-year extensions on Jan. 21, 2025, to contract event management of room rentals at the Mollner Building at Hart Park to the firm Veniament.

The contract authorizes Veniament to handle facility rentals and event staffing while the city would retain certain uses of the building. David Simpson, the city’s public works director, said the agreement aims to “maximize the city's opportunity for revenue” and create a reserve fund for building maintenance similar to the city’s stadium reserve. Under the proposal in the packet, room rental revenue would be split 70% to the city and 30% to Veniament; bar revenue would be split 20% city / 80% Veniament; catering revenue would be split 50/50.

The contract excludes events tied to the Wauwatosa Curling Club, senior-center programming and city-sponsored events; those uses remain under city control. Simpson said the contractor would manage facility rentals except for those exclusions and would operate a shared calendar with the city showing bookings, holds and inquiries.

Janelle Meyer Brown, the owner of Veniament, said the company would run the booking website, conduct photo shoots and handle evening tours and staffing. On allowable event hours she said, “What we would prefer to do is have a midnight shutdown. We wouldn't wanna go till 1 AM. No...That's what the liquor license is gonna imply also.” She added that contractor staff would handle locking up and event staffing so city staff would not have to remain onsite for late events.

Committee members asked about smaller, non-catered or non-bar uses and about cleaning, security and liability. Simpson said the contractor would handle event-specific cleanup and security needs hired by the event manager; the city would continue to provide building-wide janitorial services for shared spaces (bathrooms and daily senior-center functions). Simpson said details on deposits, insurance and liability would be finalized in the contract with review by the city attorney.

Alder Arnie asked whether Veniament would offer reduced rates for nonprofit “civic” events; Simpson said Veniament’s proposal includes a 20% discount for civic nonprofit events. Alder Phillips and others pressed on marketing and rebranding; Meyer Brown said Veniament will “market our butts off basically” and would use wedding and lifestyle marketing channels and create a linked website to promote the venue.

Alder Lewis moved approval of the staff recommendation to enter a three-year contract with two optional one-year extensions with Veniament for management of Mollner Building rentals; Alder Morgan seconded. The committee voted in favor; the transcript records the motion as passing (recorded in the meeting as “passes 8-2”).

Next steps: the city attorney will finalize contract language on insurance, deposits and alcohol-service requirements and Veniament will pursue a liquor license for the building if the contract is executed.