Facelift rejuvenates South 76th Street corridor

As a $1.94 million facelift for the South 76th Street corridor, paid for by Milwaukee County, Greenfield and Greendale, is nearing completion, some new businesses are moving in and others are relocating.
Last year, construction crews replaced the pavement on South 76th Street between Coldspring Road and Grange Avenue and on Layton Avenue between South 74th Street South 84th Street. This year, workers made aesthetic improvements to those portions of 76th Street and Layton Avenue by adding decorative street lights, decorative pavement, raised planters, trees, flowers and bushes.
Government officials hope the improvements will make those streets more attractive for shoppers and businesses.
"It’s really meant to be an investment in that corridor," Greenfield planning director Chuck Erickson said. "Ideally, it will have a ripple affect to spark some improvements to (private) sites and buildings."
To complete the project, more landscaping will be added later this year and next spring. Hundreds of additional trees will be planted, Greenfield Mayor Timothy Seider said. Even without those trees, officials say the street already looks much better.
"The improvement has been dramatic," Seider said. "We’ve had a lot of nice compliments."
And more businesses are now targeting the corridor, Seider said. "We’re seeing a continued interest in redevelopment in the area," he said.
Restauranteur Nick Tsioustsiopoulos and his family plan to open a restaurant called Bones and Feathers Wood Grill in the former Ground Round building at 4765 S. 76th St., which has been vacant for about five months. The family also owns the Brisco County Wood Grill in Menomonee Falls. Bones and Feathers will be similar to Brisco County, offering Southwestern food and specializing in chicken and ribs, Tsioustsiopoulos said.
The improved appearance of South 76th Street and the traffic counts on the road make the property a good site for a restaurant, Tsioustsiopoulos said.
"It’s always busy," he said. "Seventy-sixth Street looks like a jewel. Everything is brand new there. It’s a street, when you drive it, you feel good to live in a nice, American suburb."
Coldstone Creamery plans to open an ice cream parlor in the south building of the new Qdoba Mexican Grill retail center at 5075 S. 76th Street. Qdoba opened there this summer.
Kesslers Diamond Center plans to move across the street into the north building in the Qdoba retail center. The store has outgrown its current 1,500-square-foot store at 5096 S. 76th St. Kesslers will occupy the entire 5,000-square-foot, one-story north building in the Qdoba retail center.
"We need more space, and we need more parking spots," said Mary Barnes, Kesslers store manager.
David Neimark, the owner of the current Kesslers building, said he is thinking about combining that building with the building he owns next door, occupied by a Men’s Warehouse and U.S. Cellular. If done, Men’s Warehouse and U.S. Cellular would get additional space.
"They are interested in more space," Neimark said. "They’re doing quite well there."
Blockbuster Video is building a new store at 4285 S. 76th Street. It will replace the larger Blockbuster store which the movie-rental chain will vacate in a retail center at 4350 S. 76th St.
Boston-based Heritage Real Estate, owner of Spring Mall, 4200 S. 76th St., is planning a redevelopment of the vacant movie theater space. Greenfield officials are contemplating the creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district to assist the proposed project, Seider said.
Just down the street, in Greendale, Southridge Mall recently announced the stores that will fill the long-vacant Younkers store space. Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear will occupy 105,000 square feet, filling the entire lower level. Upstairs, the mall is negotiating with Linens ‘n Things to occupy 29,000 square feet and Cost Plus World Market to occupy 18,000 square feet. The mall is still trying to land a fourth tenant to fill the remaining 47,000 square feet on the upper level. In addition, the mall plans to complete a $2.5 million renovation of its interior by the Christmas shopping season. The mall has been put up for sale by its owner, New York-based Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, said John Ford, vice president of corporate communications for Blackstone.
Outback family of restaurants
Tampa, Fla.-based Outback Steakhouse Inc. is working on a deal to build a Carrabba’s Italian Grill and a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant on a site in Brookfield, said Jamie Butler, land development manager for Outback. Butler declined to disclose the prospective site. Carrabba’s is a chain of casual Italian restaurants, and Cheeseburger in Paradise is a chain of casual restaurants with a Caribbean theme. Both chains are owned by Outback. It would be the first Carrabba’s location in Wisconsin. The closest Cheeseburger in Paradise is in Middleton. Outback is looking for more locations for restaurants in the Milwaukee area, Butler said. The company plans to build an Outback Steakhouse in Fox Point at the River Pointe Village center at the corner of Brown Deer Road and Port Washington Road. A deal to build a Carrabba’s at the vacant Ground Round site on South 76th Street in Greenfield fell through, he said.
Mequon
Sound Stage plans to move from its location at Bayshore Mall in Glendale to a 4,000-square-foot space at 9950 N. Port Washington Road. Calderone Pizza plans to occupy a 4,900-square-foot space at 7606 W. Mequon Road.
Kenosha
Shorewest Realtors is expanding by opening a sales office in Kenosha at 7649 Pershing Boulevard.
Wales
The Jeff Tjugum Agency of American Family Insurance is building a professional office building at Highway 18 and Oakcrest Drive in Wales. MSI General is the architect and general contractor for the 12,000-square-foot building, which will house the Jeff Tjugum Agency offices, a branch of the Wilkerson Medical Clinic, L.A. Tan and 2,867 square feet of space available for another business. Construction of the building is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Waukesha
The Redmond Company plans to build a 6,575-square-foot multi tenant retail building in Grandview Plaza, south of Silvernail Road and west of Grandview Boulevard. The building will accommodate three tenants, including a Qdoba Mexican Grill. Cousins Subs plans to open a restaurant in a new building at the northeast corner of Les Paul Parkway and Pearl Street.
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MEDC Loans
Christopher Ovans received a $59,541 MEDC loan and $89,312 in financing from other sources. He plans to purchase a 2,476-square-foot building at 2661 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and wants to renovate the building and open a martial arts studio in the 1,348-square-foot first floor commercial space.
Christopher Roethel and John Roethel received a $156,000 MEDC loan and $234,000 in financing from other sources. Their business, Gibb Building Maintenance Co. Inc., plans to move from a space at 3415 N. 127th St. in Brookfield to the 6,000-square-foot building at 5100 W. Good Hope Road. The building, which the Roethels will buy and renovate, will provide additional space for the company to expand. They plan to add 15 more full-time and 75 more part-time employees after making the move.
Leslie Montemurro and Scott Johnson, owners of Comet CafZ, Inc., received a $255,200 MEDC loan and $509,460 in financing from other sources. They plan to buy the building at 1947 N. Farwell Ave., where the cafZ is located. They want to expand and remodel the restaurant. The small coffee shop features a menu that focuses on vegan food. They plan to add nine more full-time employees and 40 more part-time employees after the expansion.
RCS Systems, Inc. 7840 N. Faulkner Road, Milwaukee, received a $500,000 MEDC loan and $1.245 million in financing from other sources. The firm plans to purchase the Belarus tractor repair and maintenance facility at 7075 W. Parkland Court, Milwaukee. The firm plans to remodel the building to accommodate its needs and provide a large showroom for its products. RCS has 65 employees and is planning to add 10 more. RCS will move to the Parkland Court site and Belarus will move to the Faulkner Road property.
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Leases
Apex Commercial
Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA has leased 7,029 square feet of office space at Crossroads Corporate Center I, 20800 Swenson Dr., Waukesha, from the Teachers Retirement System.
The Polacheck Company
Kohner, Mann and Kailas, S.C. has leased 14,472 square feet of space at 4650 N. Port Washington Road, Glendale, from Barnabas Business Properties, LLC. Segel Lang Group has leased 1,470 square feet of space in the same building. In addition, Group 9 Inc. has leased 6,029 square feet of space in the building.
APL Logistics Warehouse Management Services, Inc. has leased 93,750 square feet of space at 3030 Sylvania Ave. Suite D in Yorkville, from Ashley Yorkville LLC.
Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. has leased 1,600 square feet of space at the southwest corner of Silvernail Road and County Trunk Highway T in Pewaukee from Pranke Holdings, LLC.
Cold Stone Creamery Leasing Company has leased 2,066 square feet of space at 5075 S. 76th St. Unit C in Greenfield from 5075 Edgerton, LLC.
Belfor USA Group, Inc. has leased 9,600 square feet of space at 2929 N. 114th St., Wauwatosa, from Brodd Property Management.
Mid-America Real Estate
Tuesday Morning has leased 6,185 square feet of space at Badger Plaza in Racine.
Nextel has leased 1,540 square feet of space at Shoppes on 100 in West Allis. Nextel joins Cold Stone Creamery, Nothing But Noodles and Nick-N-Willy’s at the shopping center.
Edward Jones has leased 1,015 square feet of space at the New Berlin City Center, located on National Avenue in New Berlin. Edward Jones joins Extreme Pita and Cream City Soda & Fountain at City Center.
Starbucks has leased 1,550 square feet of space at 3910 75th Street, Kenosha.
Best Buy has leased 39,172 square feet of space at Riverpoint Shopping Center in Fox Point. The site is the former location of a Kohl’s Food Store.
Siegel-Gallagher
Quinette and Traudt, Inc. has leased space at 20935 Swenson Dr., Waukesha, from Daimler Chrysler.
TMC Mortgage Company, LLC has leased office space at The Forum, 3333 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, from Mayfair Forum Building, LLC.
Residential Title Services, Ameripay Payroll, Remedy Intelligent Staffing, Blue Chip Retirement Plans and Asset Management Outsourcing are leasing space at Summit Place, 6737 W. Washington Ave., West Allis, from Whitnall Summit Company.
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Sales
The Polachek Company
First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. purchased the 217,680 square-foot Unisource building in the Westridge Business Park in New Berlin and the 104,190 square-foot former Sam’s Club building at W140 N9000 Lilly Road, Menomonee Falls, from CALSTRS. The Polacheck Company was the listing broker. The James T. Barry Company also assisted with the Unisource building deal.
Boerke Company
Custom Gasket, Inc. bought 21,205 square feet of industrial space at 16550 W. Ryerson Road, New Berlin, from Klockner KHS, Inc. for $875,000.
Dickman Real Estate
J.J.D. Investors of Wisconsin, LLC bought 140,080 square feet of industrial space at 6055 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Cudahy, from Life Investors Insurance Co. of America for $4.45 million.
J.M.E. LLC bought 20,860 square feet of industrial space at 8800 W. Dean Road, Milwaukee, from Witco Systems, Inc. for $675,000.
Mid-America Real Estate
PHRE Watertown LLC bought two acres at the Aldi Foods outlot in Watertown. An Applebee’s is planned for the site. The purchase price was $378,000.
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New construction
KVG Building Corp., Pewaukee, has been awarded the construction contract for second phase of the fa?ade renovation at Westgate Mall in Racine.
MSI General Corp., Oconomowoc, has been chosen for the design and construction of an 8,800 square-foot Christian Family Life Center for Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church of Waukesha. The addition will include a new gymnasium, locker rooms and kitchen facilities. The project will also include remodeling of existing classrooms.
October 1, 2004, Small Business Times, Milwaukee, WI