City signs off on recording studio in Port industrial area

PORT WASHINGTON - The sounds of music may soon be heard in Port Washington’s industrial district.

Port native and musician Will Pfrang and his father Charlie want to build a 5,650-square-foot recording studio in the 600 block of Park Street just east of Schmitz Drive.

Their quest took a step forward on March 19 when the Common Council last month amended the city’s zoning code to allow recording studios as a conditional use in the industrial district and the Plan Commission on Wednesday recommended approval of a conditional use permit for the Pfrangs’ studio.

The Common Council will consider that permit when it meets on Tuesday, April 16.

Will Pfrang said that he believes Port can become a hub for musicians from the Milwaukee and Chicago areas to rehearse and create promotional materials after they’ve recorded an album.

That support content, he said, includes photographs and videos used to help market an album.

Pfrang said he wants to help foster a space for local musicians, songwriters and videographers to create content and perhaps create an artist collective.

“Port has been getting cooler and cooler,” he said. “You could take a band and bring them to Port Washington, get them away from the city to develop their music and support stuff.”

He and his father have talked about the idea for some time, Pfrang said, noting the idea was born out of the pandemic.

“The music scene in Milwaukee and the Midwest post-pandemic has blown up in a way I didn’t see,” he said. “There are a lot of great Milwaukee bands. They’re getting traction. It feels like this is the right time for something like this.

“We love Port Washington and want to be able to foster really amazing talent here. We want to bring really great talent from Chicago and other places where people make great music and show off Port.”

The building would include performance and recording studio space, a stage, rehearsal space, a live performance space and band equipment storage space.

Pfrang said he believes the building would primarily be used for rehearsals initially, with other uses growing over time.

Pfrang, who said he’s been playing music since he was 12 or 13, began performing at age 16 and later formed his own band, Will Pfrang and the Good Land Gang, which he said primarily performed indie rock and played throughout the Milwaukee and Chicago areas.

Today he splits his time between Port and Nashville, working as a songwriter and playing music.

His father, he added, plays the drums and has a band as well.

“It’s been fun getting to work on this stuff with him,” he said.

Pfrang said he hopes to break ground on the studio by this summer, with the goal of being up and running in early 2026.