City Can’t Figure Out What To Do With Northridge Menards Proposal

A proposal for Wisconsin-based retailer Menards to invest in its property next to the dilapidated Northridge Mall seems like it would be welcomed with open arms. But the project is instead becoming a showcase of the city’s challenges with redeveloping the area while the mall itself continues to cast a blighting influence.

Menards and Pick ‘n Save opened stores adjacent to the mall in 2005, approximately two years after the shopping center closed. But the Pick ‘n Save closed in 2015. Menards bought the property and repurposed the building, with city support, into a self-storage facility. Now it’s struggling to get that same support to repurpose the Pick ‘n Save parking lot into an outdoor self-storage complex.

On Monday, the City Plan Commission held off acting on a rezoning request from Menards, and instead directed the retailer and the Department of City Development to work on a strategy that would place more guard rails into the retailer’s proposal. The commission’s concerns are primarily about what happens after Menards closes its store or how the proposal would interact with any future Northridge redevelopment.

The debate comes as the city fights the mall’s Chinese-based ownership group in court. The next major deadline is Oct. 31, by which the ownership group must pay a $109,000 fine or face a lien from the city. It is still likely to be several years before the shuttered mall is demolished.

But as the ownership group has fought the city, the condition of the mall property has continued to degrade. “What that has done is creating a dumping zone, a parking zone, a place for people that do illegal activities that reflects on Menards as a business,” said Menards real estate director Tyler Edwards to the commission. “People notice this stuff. They choose to shop elsewhere.”

In a defensive move, Menards is proposing to install 12-foot-tall self-storage units in a ring around the edge of the former Pick ‘n Save parking lot, 8120 W. Brown Deer Rd. It would leave its store property as-is while addressing what Edwards said is a waiting list for storage units.

The Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the proposal in July, voting against special use permits and zoning variances to enable the development. Despite an endorsement from the Granville Advisory Committee, concerns were raised by then-alderwoman Chantia Lewis, the area business improvement district and DCD.

The retailer then pursued a different route: an outright zoning change from Regional Business (RB1) to Industrial Light (IL1). But DCD is again recommending denial, citing the potential for other future uses under the broad designation, the lack of job creation in the proposal and the proposal’s inconsistency with both the city’s Industrial Land Use Analysis and the Granville Advisory Plan.

The Granville plan calls for a comprehensive approach to adding industrial land uses in the area. “That’s not what is in front of this body today,” said planning manager Sam Leichtling in explaining DCD’s position.

“I have a hard time swallowing the pill that somehow our development is impeding the future growth,” said Edwards. He noted that were other industrial uses in nearby former big box stores which involved parking a large number of semi-trucks. The city also leases its Boston Store property, attached to the mall, to a truck driving school. Edwards said the aesthetics of those uses weren’t a positive for Menards.

Edwards said city redevelopment specialist Benji Timm described the situation as “something is better than nothing.” Edwards said he agreed and thought the principle should apply to Menards.

But Leichtling and others noted by granting Menards the zoning change, the Pick ‘n Save property could ultimately look just like the properties Edwards was critical of. Motor vehicle storage and many other things are permitted uses under what Leichtling said is the city’s “bread and butter” industrial zoning designation.

Edwards said the concerns over job creation needed to be viewed in the right light. The store has 150 employees and improving the adjacent self-storage property would improve the viability of the store. The real estate manager said Menards operates 4,000 storage units today across the country and plans to add another 3,800.

But his testimony wasn’t enough to sway the commission to immediately support the proposal. The body unanimously voted to hold the change and asked Leichtling and Edwards to work on a proposal that would provide more clarity and protections as well as avoid becoming an obstacle in future Northridge redevelopment efforts.

Commissioners Ranell Washington and Allyson Nemec asked for more information on exactly what Menards was proposing, including detailed designs, renderings or photos.

The commission’s future decisions on the matter will be advisory to the Common Council, which has the final say on any zoning change. The issue is complicated at the moment because of the lack of a council representative. Northridge sits in the ninth aldermanic district, one of four vacant seats. The office isn’t expected to be fulfilled until the April 2023 election.

Leichtling, who praised Menards’ efforts to be a good partner, said what comes back to the commission might take a different form. DCD and Menards could opt for a detailed planned development zoning designation, effectively a custom zoning designation often used for large buildings that includes specific limitations on uses, design and many other components.

Photos and Site Plan

Mall Photos

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Related Legislation: File 220628