The intersection of Highway 60 and Interstate 43 in Grafton is emerging as one of Ozaukee County’s most important retail areas. Several projects are underway near the intersection, and village officials expect to see more proposed this year.
Ground is being prepared now for the Grafton Commons project at the northwest corner of County Highway 60 and Port Washington Road. If Continental Properties Company Inc., the developer of Grafton Commons, buys all of the land it has options on in the area, Grafton Commons could be as large as 83 acres, said Darrell Hofland, Grafton’s village administrator. Conceptual plans call for
seven buildings at the site, with 15 tenant spaces totaling 388,000 square feet.
The largest development at Grafton Commons will be a 151,000-square-foot Costco store, scheduled to open this summer. Land has been cleared to prepare for the development, and additional work on the project should begin in four to six weeks, Hofland said.
Two other buildings for Grafton Commons were recently approved by the village – a new Kohler Credit Union and another building that will house a Qdoba restaurant and a Verizon Cellular store. Those buildings will take less time to build than the Costco store, Hofland said, and may open at the same time as Costco.
Continental Properties Company has told the village they expect the project to be completed within three years, Hofland said. Officials from Continental Properties did not return calls seeking comment.
The village expects there to be multiple restaurants in the Grafton Commons development when it is completed, but it will likely not have fast food restaurants.
“Our zoning code does not allow for drive-up windows in the east side commercial zoning classification,” Hofland said.
To accommodate increased traffic volumes in the area, Grafton will rebuild and widen the intersection of Port Washington Road and Highway 60 this summer, Hofland said.
The village created a $6 million tax incremental financing (TIF) district earlier this year to pay for public improvements in and around the area of Grafton Commons. The TIF will pay for the rebuilt intersection, as well as improvements to on and off ramps to Interstate 43, Hofland said.
The street improvements, which are expected to be complete by August, will enlarge the intersection of Highway 60 and Port Washington Road, install new traffic signals there, and add an additional west bound lane on Highway 60 between I-43 and Port Washington Road.
Grafton officials may make additional public improvements to the area, Hofland said, and the village may increase the size of the TIF to accommodate additional improvements.
There have been several other proposed developments near I-43 and Highway 60, although none have broken ground yet.
Paul Wiese Real Estate Corp. has proposed a mixed-use development at the southeast corner of I-43 and Highway 60, Hofland said. The proposal includes a gas station and convenience store, a sit-down restaurant and a 88-room Hampton Inn & Suites. Although some village officials have been briefed on the project, it has not been presented to the village’s Plan Commission yet.
Immediately south of the parcel Wiese is proposing to build on, Steinhafel’s has purchased a parcel of land, presumably to develop a new furniture showroom. However, Steinhafel’s has not discussed the project with the village, Hofland said.
Several other projects that were proposed will not be moving forward, Hofland said. A business park was proposed last year on 78 acres near the intersection of Port Washington and Arrowhead roads that featured a Motion Fitness health club, hotel, conference center and unspecified commercial space. Motion Fitness, which was recently acquired by Madison-based Princeton Club, has dropped its plans for the parcel and the project is not moving forward, Hofland said.
Similarly, Heartland Development Group Ltd., which proposed a development near the northeast quadrant of I-43 and Highway 60 that included a hotel, has also not excised its option, he said.
However, village officials aren’t worried about the pace of commercial development near the intersection slowing down.
“I think we will see (future developments) of similar uses,” Hofland said. “I think they’ll come forward this year. We’re talking to several developers on these parcels.”
