Golf Complex Proposed For Wauwatosa
Local bar-restaurant owner seeks to turn former landfill into all-weather driving range, but city pursuing a different project.
Site of proposed Tosa Golf, 1600 N. 113th St. Photo taken July 22, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Chris Trudeau knows the cliche well, but never imagined just how fitting it would be.
The local bar-restaurant operator is proposing to transform a blighted former landfill into Wauwatosa’s first all-weather, public driving range.
The $4.7 million project would activate approximately 18 acres of land near N. 113th Street and W. Watertown Plank Road. Formerly a dumping ground, the city-owned site was flattened and capped more than 30 years ago. Today, it remains undeveloped.
Trudeau described his proposed business, Tosa Golf, as a “local version” of Topgolf; the chain operates more than 80 locations throughout the United States, including a simulator-driven “swing suite” at 3rd Street Market Hall. Trudeau’s version would cut prices by as much as half, he said, while catering to a broader suburban population.
“It’s a great recreational amenity for the citizens of Wauwatosa and beyond,” said Trudeau, who is partnering with Robert Deiss and Joe Smith for the project.
The proposed two-story range is slated to include 48 bays across two levels, each individually equipped with overhead heaters to warm players and spectators in all but the coldest temperatures. The venue would also feature a pro shop, event space, a bar with 30 taplines and a full kitchen serving burgers, wings, fries and other casual eats.
Trudeau enjoys occasional trips to the driving range himself. “I just hit a couple hundred balls, have a few beers, and that’s my relaxation time,” he said.
Trudeau first discovered the Wauwatosa site as “a big green square” on Google Maps; during the initial planning stage for Tosa Golf, he used the tool as a way to scope out prospective locations.
Wauwatosa’s Community Development Authority attempted to drive interest to the long-vacant property in recent years, putting forth a request for proposals (RFP) in 2018; however, it didn’t move forward with either of the two plans submitted.
Earlier this summer, Trudeau proceeded with his own plans, presenting his proposal to the Community Development Authority on June 20.
But he’s not the only one with his eye on the parcel.
Luther Group of Elm Grove, one of the companies that originally responded to the 2018 RFP, is back in the picture, with plans to construct a 200,000-square-foot speculative industrial building on the property.
After publication, the City of Wauwatosa informed Urban Milwaukee the golf complex “is not under current consideration,” and it is “engaged in negotiations with a different developer.”
“I know if it was up to the public, they would prefer [Tosa Golf] over something like an Amazon distribution warehouse,” Trudeau said.
Construction Concerns
Building on top of a landfill comes with complications, but Trudeau is working with experts to identify and mitigate any structural or safety concerns that arise.
He plans to construct a concrete platform supported by 123 steel columns, which will be driven down through the garbage and into the soil and bedrock below. The buried material, comprising yard waste, construction waste, ash and other debris, is between 20 and 30 feet underground, according to reports from the DNR and a geotechnical engineering study.
Other concerns include ground-settling and methane generation; however, “redevelopment is possible with proper planning,” according to engineers affiliated with the project.
Trudeau said he’s encouraged by similar success stories. Rock Sports Complex and Ballpark Commons, for example, is built atop a 142-acre landfill site in Franklin.
“That’s kind of my model of like ‘hey, this can be done,'” he said.
Along with the 18-acre parcel, Trudeau hopes to secure an easement for an adjacent lot, which was capped at a later date and sits at a higher elevation than its surroundings. That’s where Trudeau plans to display a sign for the driving range, advertising the business to more than 100,000 drivers per day on Interstate 41 and Highway 100.
Tosa Golf would be the closest facility of its kind for approximately 500,000 residents. Others in the Milwaukee area include Storms Golf Range in Brookfield, Luxe Golf Bays in Franklin and Gastrau’s Golf Center in Oak Creek.
Trudeau’s plan leaves room for future expansion. He said the project will be non-invasive to neighbors, with lighting and noise concerns closely monitored.
The Community Development Authority has the final say on whether Trudeau or Luther Group can purchase the land.
Photos
This article was updated after initial publication.
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