New Grocery Store Planned for 35th, Fond du Lac and Burleigh
Building would replace city-owned vacant lot.
Proposed 35th Street commercial building. Renderings by Cityscape Architecture.
Real estate investor Omar Ahmad is planning to turn vacant lots near a busy central city intersection into a commercial hub.
He recently secured approval to purchase four vacant city-owned lots to develop a commercial building on 3000 block of N. 35th Street, near the street’s intersection with W. Fond du Lac Avenue and W. Burleigh Street.
“The main anchor tenant will be a grocery or fresh produce type operator. It should have additional three other businesses that will be there,” said Ahmad to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee on April 15.
A commercial new construction permit depicts a 7,186-square-foot building with a 4,172-square-foot grocery store and two retail spaces. Ahmad, according to a Department of City Development report, is expected to expend $985,000 on the development. Cityscape Architecture is leading the design.
“The key for us is to have the buyer try to vigorously bring a grocery store to the site,” said DCD real estate specialist Dwayne Edwards.
A dimensional variance, filed May 1, is now pending before the Board of Zoning Appeals to enable the grocery store’s construction.
“I want to thank Dwayne for getting us across the finish line, willing this into existence,” said area Alderman DiAndre Jackson during the zoning committee hearing.
“I’m looking forward to working with Omar and thank you for the investment in the 7th District,” said Jackson.
The council unanimously endorsed the land sale at its April 22 meeting.
Ahmad is also developing a JJ Fish & Chicken restaurant next door at 3057 N. 35th St. A site plan for the commercial building shows a patio for the restaurant on the commercial building property. He owns several JJ Fish & Chicken restaurants in Milwaukee and even more properties.
The city is to sell the properties to Ahmad for $4,000. The lots included are 3033-3037., 3039-3041, 3043-3045 and 3051 N. 35th St. The city acquired the lots via property tax foreclosure between 2014 and 2016.
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Is a ~4000 SQ ft grocery store viable? Dense neighborhood, so walkable if one can survive that intersection. Walmarts small concept over in West Allis failed at it was quite accessible.