People’s Park was known to be the popular gathering place for friends and family looking to grab a drink in the evenings and eat the famed sweet potato fries and sour cream and chive fries. Typical nights at the restaurant and bar would find people crammed around tables while they socialized at the ever-busy downtown business.

That all changed when an early morning Feb. 8 fire significantly damaged People’s Park, which first opened in December 2008. Five inches of water was left standing on the ground after firefighters knocked down the blaze and the special mural that was in place over the bar was ruined.

Now, as People’s Park owners Dan and Jim Taylor are in the rebuilding process, they are looking at expanding in a big way. While they are starting over, they are looking to combine the building at 811/813 Clinton St. with the building at 337 W. Main St. 

The expansion would create a more efficient kitchen design and seating arrangement on the first floor, according to a city agenda. The restaurant could expand the seating to the second floor.

“We have been talking about expanding for a long time, but we were trying to save money to do it,” said Dan Taylor. “We would have had to close the restaurant to expand but because of the fire, we had the opportunity because we are down. We can use the opportunity while we are down to expand then we don’t have to shut it down in the future.”

People's Park is planned to re-open July 1 with the expansion opening on Aug. 1, Dan Taylor said.

The project still has a few hurdles to overcome. The project was approved by the Landmarks Commission on Wednesday, but the Taylors are in the application process for tax credits through the Wisconsin Historical Society. The plans also are going before the Plan Commission next Wednesday.

But that’s not where the proposed expansion would stop. The Taylor brothers would like to add rooftop dining to the top of the building. The appeal of rooftop dining could be a huge draw for people coming to downtown Waukesha, said Jim Taylor and his wife, Susie Taylor.

“We think that if we put rooftop dining on top of a building in Waukesha, there is going to be many people from many surrounding suburbs, towns, cities or villages that are going to say ‘Hey, let’s check out the place that has the rooftop,’” Jim Taylor said.

Whether it is a romantic evening with a significant other or a night out with friends, the rooftop dining will provide people with a view of the city. When the Taylors first purchased the building they went out onto the roof to check out that exact view.

“You could see all these steeples,” said Susie Taylor. “… You could see a view of downtown Waukesha. The view is amazing that you don’t see anywhere else.”