Week Ahead: Drexel Town Square Public Meeting

The week ahead in Oak Creek includes an important opportunity for residents to weigh in on plans for the Drexel Town Square.

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Oak Creek Community Center, 8580 S. Howell Ave. There, residents will be able to view the plans and give their input directly to developers and community leaders in charge of the project.

Plans call for a new downtown for Oak Creek, with first-floor shops and second-floor apartments leading to a town square. A library and city hall will be built on the other side of the town square, with apartments on the western end of the site and a Meijer store anchoring the development on the east end.

The plans have drawn a strong reaction from many Oak Creek residents, particularly the Meijer aspect. Developers and top city officials believe the store will help drive traffic to the site and make the development successful, while many residents dislike the idea of another grocery store and big box on Howell Avenue.

Also this week, County Executive Chris Abele will come to Oak Creek to give his State of the County address, in which he's expected to praise the Oak Creek Police Department's and community's response to the Sikh temple shooting.