Venerable Port Hotel has another suitor

There appears to be a buyer for the Port Hotel building in downtown Port Washington.

Tom Didier of Re/Max United said the property is under contract with an expected closing date of mid to late November.

The prospective buyer, he said, “is an experienced real estate owner” who has dealt with historic buildings and restaurants before.

The buyer and seller are working on contingencies in the offer, Didier said, but “so far everything looks good.”

The Port Hotel building generated a lot of interest and multiple offers from a number of parties, he said, noting there were more than 50 inquiries into the property in the two weeks after it was listed.

“That’s all good news for downtown Port,” Didier said of the interest in the landmark building.

The Port Hotel building went on the market in August, months after it was purchased by RSF Investments LLC of Cedarburg. Owner Ryan Fitting said he and his wife had pursued several potential tenants but they fell through, so they decided to put the building back on the market.

Fitting said they hoped to attract a buyer who would operate the restaurant and inn.

The Port Hotel building dates back to 1835, when it was constructed as a hotel and tavern. It operated under various owners until the hotel closed in 1973, but the restaurant survived.

Joe Zankl purchased the Port Hotel from longtime owners Dave and Debbie Wickesberg in 1997, and in 2005, he returned the business to its roots by opening the 10-room inn.

Zankl closed the restaurant in 2017, and later leased the restaurant to Ashley’s Bar-B-Que, but that proved a short-lived venture.

The inn closed its doors in 2019, and Port Washington State Bank purchased the building the following year.

The building, which has more than 11,000-square-feet, was listed for $750,000.

Also for sale is the former bowling alley just east of the Port Hotel, which Didier said has been empty for the past three years.

“It’s a really big opportunity for some sort of redevelopment,” Didier said.

There have been some inquiries, he said, adding most people want to know what will happen with the Port Hotel building.

“They want to do something complementary,” Didier said.

That building is listed for $399,900.