Despite Lawsuit, Plans for Meijer Store Moving Forward

Plans for a Meijer store in the Drexel Town Square development are moving forward, despite a lawsuit trying to stop it. 

The Oak Creek Plan Commission on Tuesday is scheduled to review site, building and landscaping plans for a Meijer store and fuel center to be built on the eastern end of Drexel Town Square, at the corner of Howell and Drexel avenues. 

The commission, which meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, will forward a recommendation to the Oak Creek Common Council, which makes the final decision. 

Milwaukee attorney Joseph Cincotta last month filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Meijer stores in Oak Creek and Kenosha, alleging the stores will hurt residents and were not properly approved by local governments.

Within Oak Creek, the Meijer store has been the most controversial aspect of Drexel Town Square, which will create a new downtown for the city and include office space, retail, apartments, restaurants and a new city hall/library. 

Oak Creek eyeing start of construction
Construction on Meijer—pending approval—and the city hall/library should be under way by next spring, said Doug Seymour, director of community development. 

Businesses should begin to open by spring of 2015, Seymour said. Officials have said some businesses will be announced by the end of this year, but the bulk of announcements will likely come in the second quarter of 2014. 

The Drexel Town Square development team has been lining up businesses, such as a chocolate shop-coffee bar, and reviewing proposals for the 85-acre site.

"There are a number of parties that have expressed interest" and have submitted letters of intent, Seymour said.

Meanwhile, work at the site itself is shifting from remediation to infrastructure, Seymour said, with crews set to begin grading the land and installing utilities. 

"It's an important transition but one that's not going to be highly visible," he said.