BROWN DEER, Wis. – Take a look in any direction around the FOX6 TV station, and it is clear Brown Deer is growing. The village is amidst multiple major developments that will soon bring new apartments, shopping, and restaurants to Milwaukee’s North Shore. No project is bigger than what’s being called Riverside Landing.  

A hidden treasure

What we know:

“All told, it’s going to be probably a four-year build-out,” said Brown Deer’s development director Nate Piotrowski. “It’s such a huge piece of land at really the gateway to Brown Deer.”

 As crews demolish what was once here, something unexpected happened.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I have to stop and get a picture of that,’” said Lynn Hunsicker.

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“And I thought, I haven’t thought of that place in years,” added Cynthia Taylor-Gray.

As an old facade is revealed by the construction of the development, memories have come flooding out.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“It never occurred to me the old Treasure Island roof would still be intact under there,” said Karen Spinti.

Treasure Island revealed

Dig deeper:

Discount store Treasure Island opened in the early 1960s. First in Appleton, and then in the exploding suburbs around Milwaukee.

“They had everything from hardware to underwear,” explained Cynthia Taylor-Gray.  

Treasure Island won awards for its design. This picture was included in the August 1963 edition of Wisconsin Architect Magazine. Photos provided by Wollin Studios

Taylor-Gray said despite not being in one in decades, her memory has been jogged.

“It felt like acres, just acres of retail merchandise,” added Karen Spinti.

Sprinti recalled getting dither when she dove into the clothes as a child.

Treasure Island in 1963 as seen in Wisconsin Architect

“I remember having to go to the bathroom urgently and not being able to find my mom,” said Spinti.

The Madison Location of Treasure Island as seen in 1963 Wisconsin Architect Magazine

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For Lynn Hunsicker, her senses have returned.

“I really remember the smell when you first walked in because it had popcorn and hot dogs,” recalled Hunsicker.

Treasure Island locations included full snack bars located at the front of the store. Picture appeared in 1963 Wisconsin Architect

It’s all coming back, as the store’s old look is revealed again.

But for all the clothes and tools and food for sale, there was nothing more recognizable than what was on top.

“Shop under the squiggly roof,” said Hunsicker with a smile.

Designing The Squiggly Roof

Designing the Squiggly Roof:

The squiggly roof isn’t just bringing back memories for shoppers.

“Frustrating for an 8-year-old, let me tell you. I spent a lot of time in the book section,” said architect Jim Shields.

Shields’ memory is different than most. His parents didn’t just drag him to the retailer, his dad’s employer designed it.

The Milwaukee architecture firm led by Jordan Miller and George Waltz, where Shields’ dad worked as a structural engineer, had a number of high profile projects. 

Key players

From Milwaukee’s airport terminal to the downtown post office, it was the firm’s decision to go with an untraditional wavy roof for a retailer that may go down as their biggest hit.

“It’s called folded plate concrete. Normally, concrete is envisioned as a flat slab, or a plate. But in this circumstance, they could fold it up and down. And that gave it long-span capability,” explained Shields.

Courtesy: Dekalb Historyv Center

Branded as the squiggly roof, the design allowed Treasure Island’s massive stores to have fewer beams leading to a wide open floor space. The shape is so unmistakable, the roof was seen in nearly every ad.

“All under the squiggly roof. That was their trademark,” said Merissa Howard with the Dakalb History Center near Atlanta, Georgia.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

Howard said that Milwaukee design was soon being exported to her neck of the woods.

“They were absolutely massive. They were over 200,000 square feet, which to put into perspective, is bigger than a Costco,” said Howard.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

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Known as the Treasury in some states, by the late 1970s, the retailer started to struggle through a recession.

“They were too big. There’s too much competition,” said Howard.

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By the 1980s, Treasure Island’s run was over. The stores closed, and new retailers moved in. Those famous squiggly roofs went away. 

They’ve been there all along

Dig deeper:

But if you look close enough you’ll realize those roofs never actually disappeared. Have you ever been behind a former Treasure Island location?  It’s worth a peek.

“They had a roof put over the top of it to keep it from leaking. So it was really hidden away,” said Jim Shields.

Shields said most of the locations weren’t destroyed, they were simply retrofitted. The squiggly roofs were hidden under new flat roofs placed on top.

From Appleton to West Allis and Brookfield, a peek behind the buildings revealed the squiggly roofs have been there all along.

New future for Brown Deer

Local perspective:

In Brown Deer, the old Treasure Island’s squiggly roof days are finally numbered.

“It’s full circle. It definitely is,” said Piotrowski.

A new retailer is set to break ground on the site; one that also got it’s start in the 1960s.

“I think the new Target will be successful,” said Piotrowski.

Out with the old, and in with the new. But those memories aren’t as easy to get rid of.

Boston Celtics (15-9, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (10-15, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Milwaukee; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 226.5

BOTTOM LINE: Boston will look to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Celtics take on Milwaukee.

The Bucks are 8-11 in Eastern Conference games. Milwaukee is 2-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Celtics are 11-6 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.

The Bucks score 115.1 points per game, 4.5 more points than the 110.6 the Celtics allow. The Celtics average 117.3 points per game, 0.7 fewer than the 118.0 the Bucks give up to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Rollins is shooting 47.6% and averaging 17.5 points for the Bucks. Kevin Porter Jr. is averaging 7.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Derrick White is scoring 17.5 points per game and averaging 4.1 rebounds for the Celtics. Sam Hauser is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 2-8, averaging 111.3 points, 38.9 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.8 points per game.

Celtics: 8-2, averaging 122.1 points, 42.6 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.5 points.

INJURIES: Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), AJ Green: day to day (shoulder), Taurean Prince: out (neck).

Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s beloved Jingle Bus holiday lights tour is back for another season, offering families a cozy way to experience downtown’s festive decorations while learning about the city’s history and landmarks.

Watch: Milwaukee’s Jingle Bus adds new Red Arrow Park warming house location

Jingle bus returns for the holidays

The 40-minute tour through downtown Milwaukee has become a seasonal favorite, now featuring a brand new warming house location at Red Arrow Park in the heart of downtown. Each ticket includes a free cup of cocoa and warm cookie from Bigby Coffee.

“We’re in the heart of downtown at Red Arrow Park, and this is our brand new warming house location, and we’re so excited,” said Isabel Ullrich, with Milwaukee Downtown, BID 21.

The comfortable coach bus takes passengers around the city to see holiday lights while guides narrate information about Milwaukee’s landmarks along the way. For Shaina, who has been riding the Jingle Bus for 15 years, the experience never gets old.

“I love that it’s a comfy coach bus that takes you around to see the lights, and they narrate as you’re going by the landmarks in Milwaukee,” Shaina said.

The Jingle Bus operates Friday through Sunday throughout the holiday season. Since 2018, the tour has offered special Spanish-language tours on Sundays, led by Sandra Dempsey, to better serve Milwaukee’s Latino community.

“It was a great addition from Milwaukee downtown to include and incorporate something new and different for the Latino community,” Sandra said. “We do them in Spanish, so we also get to say some jokes in Spanish, so it’s been really fun for the Latinos to come and actually enjoy downtown in their own language.”

Sandra emphasized that the Jingle Bus serves as more than just entertainment – it’s an educational experience that helps families learn about their city while establishing new traditions.

“Jingle Bus is a great way to establish a tradition with your family, right? Getting to know Milwaukee downtown,” Sandra said. “Some people don’t know some facts or history about Milwaukee. So coming to the Jingle bus tour helps them to understand more like what is the city about, what the city offers, so it’s been a great way for families to come, learn more about Milwaukee, and do it in their own language.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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