After Taking Ownership, Milwaukee Moves To Secure Northridge Mall

Northridge Mall in August 2022. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The City of Milwaukee took full possession of Northridge Mall in late January and is now moving to secure the frequently vandalized property.

Two private security firms are now monitoring the vacant mall, a board-up contractor is tasked with checking the property for openings and closing them and an assessment of environmental hazards was completed. A new security fence is also in the works. A request for proposals was issued Tuesday soliciting fencing contractors to wall off a larger portion of the complex than ever before.

Full-scale demolition is planned for later this year, but the new fencing system is expected to be installed starting in March. The Department of Public Works is moving to fence off the mall itself and the adjoining Boston Store property, which the city has owned for several years. Demolition on the Boston Store building will begin in the coming weeks. A Department of City Development spokesperson said demolition contractor HM Brandt installed a fence around the work site on Feb. 5.

The existing mall fencing, broken in several spots, would be removed as part of the latest proposal. A new six-foot-tall fence is to be installed. Based on a site diagram, the ring road that encircles the complex would be open. The road has been at least partially closed for several years.

Respondents have until Feb. 14 to bid on the larger fence project.

During a period last spring when Phoenix Investors publicly considered buying the property, a temporary fence was added as part of several new security efforts. However, the firm walked away in July after disagreeing with the city over the firm’s plans for the property, and break-ins resumed.

The city acquired the mall property, which includes an approximately 900,000-square-foot building and 46 acres of land, on Jan. 25 via property tax foreclosure. Former owner, China-based U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group, has 45 days to contest the ruling, but has yet to do so.

On Jan. 26, Security Officr Services, Inc. and Securitas began providing on-site security. Their efforts will be aided by the new fence, which would create a 58-acre protected site.

The mall, located near N. 76th Street and W. Brown Deer Road, closed in 2003 after 31 years of operation. A predecessor of Black Spruce acquired the property for $6 million in 2008. It has proposed creating an Asian marketplace, but those plans have never advanced.

A $15 million grant, via the State of Wisconsin‘s American Rescue Plan Act grant, is expected to pay for the cost of demolition, which would begin later this year. Demolition is expected to cost $9 million, according to the mayor’s office, and site preparation work is expected to cost $4 million. The state grant will also cover some of the security costs.

A separate 2019 court case is ongoing before Judge William Sosnay, though its relevance if Black Spruce no longer owns the property is unclear. A status conference is set for April 4.

Black Spruce is appealing a ruling by Sosnay that the city’s raze order to level the structure given its condition was valid, but the appeals court has not issued a ruling. Sosnay previously indicated he is likely to rule in the city’s favor to transfer the property once the appeal is resolved. The city, in early 2023, asked for the property in exchange for waiving the hundreds of thousands of dollars in contempt fines levied by Sosnay for failing to comply with a 2019 security agreement. The judge expressed displeasure during a Jan. 17 hearing, shortly after it was revealed the city found a different pathway to acquire the property but didn’t inform the court.

The city, in the Sosnay case, has frequently argued that the mall became a public nuisance under Black Spruce’s ownership because of frequent break-ins and repeated fires. In November, the Milwaukee Fire Department said it found evidence of several recent fires at the complex, which does not have active electrical or gas service. The department was called to respond to seven fires in 15 months, but reported finding evidence of at least six more.

While no formal plan has been released, the city is expected to pursue a complete redevelopment of the site with a mix of uses. A Menard’s store and self-storage facility, built after the mall’s closure and not part of the city’s holdings, are to remain.

August 2022 Photos

April 2019 Photos

Property Map

Map of ownership of area around Northridge Mall. Image prepared by Department of City Development.