Drexel Town Square Plans Marching Forward
The ambitious plans for the corner of Drexel and Howell continue to move ahead, with work under way at the site now and a public hearing coming up in June.
Meijer
Browse By
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Drexel Town Square Plans Marching Forward
The ambitious plans for the corner of Drexel and Howell continue to move ahead, with work under way at the site now and a public hearing coming up in June.
Progress on Oak Creek's much-publicized Drexel Town Square development comes in both visible and invisible ways. Visible work is happening now at the corner of Drexel and Howell avenues, where several trucks and workers are digging up concrete at the 85-acre site. That work will continue until the end of July, and the concrete will be re-used within the development. The invisible: the Drexel Town Square site plan has begun moving through the city government review process, with a public hearing set for June 18 and a final Oak Creek Common Council vote sometime soon after that. "Given the complexities of the commercial real estate market, the financing market and everything else that's been going on since the crash of 2008, I feel we're …
In this Article:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Drexel Town Square: Readers Weigh In
It was a busy week for Drexel Town Square news and plenty of Patch readers had something to say about it.
Oak Creek officials weren't kidding when they said the Drexel Town Square project would heat up in early 2013. This week, more than 200 residents attended a public meeting in which developers presented the most updated plans for the former Delphi site, at the corner of Drexel and Howell avenues. Many Oak Creek residents focused on the Meijer component of the project, as Patch detailed in this Feb. 12 story. The proposal for a big box store has been criticized since news leaked in December and continued that way this week. Patch readers were also vocal. Cory: I don't really see why they keep saying they need an anchor store to bring traffic to the area. It's right next to Woodmans, which already brings plenty of traffic as well as being …
In this Article:
DJ
8:37 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
While I do not know much about Mejer, I am strongly against putting another grocery store there. We already have Pick n Save, Woodmans, Sam's Club, Sendik's, Walmart, Piggly Wiggly and Aldi's that already sell groceries within 5 miles of this area. I think another grocery store would be over kill. more ›
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Editor's Notebook
Angst Over Meijer Persists
Residents attending a public meeting Monday on the Drexel Town Square project continued to express skepticism on a proposal for Meijer to anchor the development.
Update 11 a.m. Wednesday: see an animated video and renderings of the Drexel Town Square site here. Though numerous components make up the Drexel Town Square development project, it's the Meijer store that continues to be the central focus for Oak Creek residents. More than 200 residents turned out at a public meeting Monday night and got a closer look at the plans and an opportunity to ask questions of the people leading the project. Over about 90 minutes, a few general opinions about the development seemed apparent. Many people looked favorably on plans for the new downtown, where first-floor shops and second-floor apartments lead to a town square. So, too, did residents generally seem fine with the 500 to 600 apartments planned on the …
In this Article:
ES in OC
6:35 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Take a look at Brady Street, Farwell, or the Third Ward. All very successful areas with multiple small local businesses. From unique clothing stores, sporting goods stores, bicycle shops and multiple cafes these areas are very vibrant without a big box anchor. Woodman's abuts the site- why not consider that the anchor and the draw if needed? The propensity of all the large format retailers on … more ›
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Developers Bullish on Drexel Town Square Plans
The developers and architect involved with the Drexel Town Square project say they are excited to create a new identity for the city.
The idea of creating a downtown and a town center from scratch, while not unprecedented, certainly isn't common, either. But the developers and architect involved with the Drexel Town Square redevelopment project, planned for the corner of Drexel and Howell avenues in Oak Creek, say its the uniqueness drew them in. Rick Barrett, Blair Williams and Matt Rinka are bringing their high profiles in the Milwaukee development community—and more importantly, their successful track records—to Oak Creek to help develop an entirely new identity for the city. Barrett will develop the residential component on the west end of the site, which will include about 500 to 600 high-end apartments. Williams is focused on the downtown portion of the project, …
In this Article:
gerard
5:10 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Totally agree with no more chain except maybe an Olive Garden or Maggiano's. Also agree with others we do not need more apartments. I'm more concerned about the traffic/congestion and have heard nothing about traffic flow patterns. Howell avenue is a nightmare now. I'm alot disappointed we do not have more say so in who is bidding for space; it seems to me like we should be the final decision … more ›
Friday, February 1, 2013
Grocery Wars: As Meijer Enters Mix, 'Something Has to Give'
Meijer plans to enter Oak Creek and add to a rapidly-crowding grocery market populated by Woodman's, Pick 'n Save, Target, Walmart and others. Is there enough business for everyone?
Since everybody has to eat every day, usually several times a day, there is an inevitability built into the grocery business. There will always be somebody ready to fill that need. But that doesn’t mean it isn't volatile. The retail grocery industry is highly competitive, and since the rise of the chain supermarket, it has typically been a high-volume, low-margin business. Demand for food is subject to changing tastes, offers of better service pricing, demographic shifts and and turns in the economy. Over the past two decades, the grocery business in metro Milwaukee has changed radically, and it is about to change again. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the arrival in the Milwaukee market of Meijer Inc., builder of supercenter stores …
In this Article:
curious1
3:08 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Has the Meijer already been approved by the Oak Creek Plan Commission and Common Council? The flyer I received in the mail yesterday seems to imply this is already approved by the City. Seems to be a case of "this is what we are doing & if you don't like it, too bad." I thought the standard procedure for development in this City is that a public hearing must occur BEFORE something gets approved. … more ›
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Meijer Drops Plans For Franklin Store
Meijer, which is proposed to anchor the Drexel Town Square development project, had also been planned for Highway 100 and Loomis Road in Franklin.
Meijer has informed the city of Franklin it is dropping plans to build a store at Highway 100 and Loomis Road, according to a Franklin NOW report. The site caused a variety of problems for the company, according to the report, including a difficulty getting approvals from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build on or near wetlands. Michigan-based Meijer, which offers grocery and general merchandise, is preparing to enter the Milwaukee market and has been proposed to anchor the Drexel Town Square redevelopment project in Oak Creek at Drexel and Howell avenues. Developers are planning a new downtown for Oak Creek at the center of the site, with shops and apartments leading to a town square, and…
In this Article:
Michael
5:11 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
I welcome Meijer to the area. I have shopped Meijer in Chicago. It is a very nice store with an excellent bakery and deli. Excellent customer service. A very organized store. If Oak Creek does not want Meijer we would welcome them in Greenfield. We will take their tax dollars and their great store more ›
Friday, January 18, 2013
Will Aldermen Support Meijer at Drexel Town Square?
The Oak Creek Common Council will have a say on the Drexel Town Square site plan, which now includes a Meijer store.
The proposal for a Meijer store that would anchor the Drexel Town Square development project still has a ways to go before it comes to fruition. Contracts have not been signed; public meetings are yet to be held. And, importantly, city approvals have not been granted. The site plan unveiled Tuesday night will undergo an extensive review process inside the doors at Oak Creek City Hall. The Plan Commission will consider the proposal and hold a public hearing before forwarding a recommendation to the Common Council, which makes the final decision. Not only does the overall site plan need approval, but individual components of the project will go through the approval process as well. In addition to Meijer, a new downtown with shops leading to …
In this Article:
Margaret Quinn
2:56 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I think the people of OC were sold a bill of goods with promises of an experience like Bay Shore. Perhaps we don't need quite that experience, but we don't need another run of the mill store that will take business away from stores already established and part of the Oak Creek community. I don't think bringing in a store like Meijers is being very supportive of those established businesses. Do we… more ›
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Meijer Planned to Anchor Drexel Town Square
Developers have scrapped plans for junior box stores on the eastern third of the former Delphi property, saying a strong anchor store is needed to attract other tenants.
When plans for a town center on the former Delphi property were first presented, "junior box" stores were proposed for the eastern third of the 85-acre site, with some city officials and residents skewering the idea of a big box on the site. Things have changed. As the team leading the project began shopping the plan, centered on a new downtown for Oak Creek with high-end apartments on the west, one of the first questions often asked by prospective companies was, "who is anchoring the site?" It became clear to developers they may need a big box store if they want to draw tenants to the downtown, where planners envision shops leading to a town square. The collection of junior box stores, as first planned, wasn't going to be enough to draw …
In this Article:
Esme Grichologiza
2:06 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Really, people--IKEA? IKEA being supporting by Franklin and OC? There are less than 40 IKEA stores in the U.S. with 2 already in the Chicago metro area. There isn't a chance that the Milwaukee metro area shoppers would fit in with the IKEA concept, let along Franklin/OC. more ›
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Report: Meijer May Anchor Drexel Town Square
According to a BizTimes Milwaukee story, developers are in negotiations with Meijer to open in the Drexel Town Square development.
Updated: 2:15 p.m. Wednesday Might a big box store make its way to the Drexel Town Square development? BizTimes Milwaukee is reporting that developers are negotiating with Meijer Inc. to open a 192,000-square-foot store to anchor the planned development on the former Delphi site at Drexel and Howell. Wispark President Jerry Franke told the newspaper that any talk of potential retail tenants is "premature." Others said a big box store is necessary to provide an anchor to drive traffic to the site as well as attract other retailers. Read the whole story here. The report is surprising for a couple of reasons: city officials have been (publicly) cool to the idea of a big box store at Drexel Town Square, and another big box grocery store, …
In this Article:
vocal local 1
2:52 am on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Your correct in that something is better than nothing "if" something actually is built and opened that will contribute to the debt of cleaning up and developing the property instead of another expensive contractual agreement and nothing like the Howell Ave and Oakwood property. Instead of development there, the city granted Wis Park a delay in development meaning no contribution to the tax base… more ›
Mark Schaaf
8:18 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
The site's been acting funky lately - not sure what's up with the pending approval, but looking into it and hoping to find out what's going on. more ›