Demolition of Northridge Mall Reaches Key Milestone

Demolition of the former Younker’s department store at Northridge Mall. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

“Mister Mayor, tear down this mall.”

While Cavalier Johnson might not be ending the Cold War, his effort to redevelop the blighted Northridge Mall property is a cause for city officials to celebrate.

It took five years to take possession of the vacant complex, but on Tuesday afternoon Fire Chief Aaron Lipski was able to wittily revise Ronald Reagan‘s famous quote to celebrate that the mall is visibly falling.

Even before redevelopment begins, public safety officials say securing the property is having a positive impact on the city.

“The northwest side of Milwaukee was continually being vacuumed of all of its emergency resources to handle fires that didn’t need to be happening,” said Lipski, who had lamented the dangerous conditions firefighters faced in battling arson in the complex. Milwaukee Police Department District Four Captain Andrew Tischer said there has been a “significant reduction” in calls for service.

The Department of City Development continues to advance a planning process for the site’s future.

“Nothing has been ruled out. Nothing has been locked in,” said DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump. He said that includes whether selling the property would ultimately take the shape of one or many requests for proposals.

Area Alderwoman Larresa Taylor said the former mall property, now known as Granville Station, represents a “District of Opportunity,” her new tagline for her northwest side district.

And while city officials continue to ponder what comes next, the Veit company is leading the demolition of the 800,000-square-foot mall complex. That work, said Crump, has involved 37 different businesses, 55% of which are based in the city. Of the whole, 45% are certified small, minority or woman-owned firms said Crump.

Eighty percent of the materials recovered to date have been recycled, evidence of which was visible around the press conference site in the form of piles of various metals and stacked pallets of bricks. The Brickyard in Bay View is purchasing the bricks for resale.

A substantial amount of environmental abatement has already taken place, including removing asbestos. During that process, a colony of bees was discovered and relocated to a farm in Elkhorn. “Northridge Honey” produced by the re-homed bees was distributed to press conference attendees.

The event ended with Johnson leading officials in signing a golden sledgehammer, though the mayor didn’t get a chance to swing it.

Demolition work, backed by $15 million from the state, is expected to be completed by fall 2025. The city will have a 58-acre parcel available for redevelopment, the largest site in the city.

“The demolition of the former Northridge Mall is a symbol of what’s possible when we all work together,” said Johnson. Now, the city needs to decide what comes next. Suggestions are being accepted on the city’s EngageMKE website.

Demolition Photos

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Press Conference Photos

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May Interior Photos

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