The developer of controversial Drew Tower in Wauwatosa has purchased another nearby building in the city
Quinn ClarkThe developer of the controversial 28-story Drew Tower in Wauwatosa purchased another nearby property in late December.
POG Kosmos Acquisitions LP, an investment group led by John Vassallo, bought the former Dentists on Bluemound property at 10863 W. Bluemound Road for $750,000, according to a Milwaukee County property deed. It's down the road from Vassallo's proposed Drew Tower, a project that would feature 65 apartments and 70,000 square feet of office space.
The tower project, at the southwest corner of West Bluemound and North Mayfair roads, was originally withdrawn in 2021, but approved in January 2022, and been met with pushback from nearby residents.
Underwood Neighbors United, a group of Wauwatosa residents, filed a lawsuit in July against the Wauwatosa Board of Appeals after residents argued that both the city and Vassallo did not conduct thorough research to prove that current residents would not be affected by the Drew Tower project. The group called for more evidence of the Drew Tower approval process. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Dentists on Bluemound relocated to 11407 W. Bluemound in the summer of 2018. The former building, now owned by Vassallo, is listed as a $271,400 single-family home on Zillow. Vassallo did not respond to repeated requests for an interview to his future plans for the property, but records show it was purchased for commercial use.
Vassallo, who also owns Mo's Irish Pub in Milwaukee, purchased two other nearby properties last year, adding to multiple houses owned by the developer around the future Drew Tower.
Quinn Clark can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Quinn_A_Clark.