MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Dukes on Water is officially closing down on Friday night, May 15.

Co-owner Andrea Shafton says the closure is not about safety concerns and has been in the works.

“Our family has been selling properties that belong to my mom for a couple years, and this is one of them, so it was in the cards,” Shafton said.

Shafton took over in 1988 when the building was a fine dining restaurant.

“We’ve got a lot of regulars that we’ll miss dearly, and they’ve been with us for years and years,” Shafton said. “It’s hard to say goodbye to them.”

Michael Sirna is one of those regulars and was at Dukes on Friday night to say goodbye.

“I’ve been coming here since it wasn’t Dukes; I probably was first coming in this bar maybe 55 years ago,” Sirna said.

Grace Kornowski met her husband at Dukes.

“It is sad, which is why we’re coming back now to say our last goodbye and hoorah, and kiss Dukes goodbye forever,” Kornowski said.

Jaden Dias is graduating from MSOE this weekend and spent countless hours at Dukes throughout his college tenure.

“It was always the spot that your friends that were upperclassmen always tell you about, and you finally go there and you’re like 'ahh this is great here,'” Dias said.

Greg Wagner is another regular. He brought in homemade ribs on Friday night to show his appreciation for the bar.

“We brought in ribs just to show kindness for the neighborhood and appreciation for everything that the bar has done,” Wagner said.

Shafton is unsure what the new owner will do with the building.