In a commentary earlier this year I wrote about the redevelopment of the former
Northridge Mall site. After a lengthy legal battle with the former property owner, the site is now owned by the city, which is tearing down the former mall and planning for redevelopment. I wrote that the city should seek industrial space development for the site with tenants that provide a large number of family-supporting jobs.
An industrial park could make sense for the site since there are others nearby and there is strong demand and low vacancy for industrial space in the region. Quite frankly, that probably would be the easiest redevelopment option.
But now I’m having second thoughts. In November, BizTimes Media hosted its annual Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference. The theme was a “developer’s fantasy camp” in which three teams of developers were offered the opportunity to
pitch their dream redevelopment project for the Northridge site. None of them pitched the idea of an industrial park. One noted that the industrial parks near the Northridge site provide a lot of jobs, but most of the residents in the area work elsewhere. There’s a disconnect there which indicates that while attracting more jobs would certainly be a good thing, it might not make a big impact on the neighborhood if the people who hold those jobs don’t live there.
The developers participating in our fantasy camp decided to explore more interesting ideas for the Northridge site than an industrial park. They presented mixed-use ideas that were extremely compelling, and if a redevelopment along those lines is pursued it could be more transformative for the site.
Common themes included a variety of residential types, green space, education or job-training facilities, and health and wellness components. The developers said a redeveloped Northridge site should improve connections with surrounding residential and green space areas.
A significant amount of housing development on the site would increase the population density of the area, which would help the city move toward Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s ambitious goal of raising the city’s population to 1 million.
The area around Northridge has had a lack of population growth and retail businesses in the area have declined significantly since the mall closed in 2003. But if the right mix of uses is developed on the former mall site, along with green space and other amenities, it could be an attractive place to live. Case in point, the nearby Village of Brown Deer grew its population by 4.2% and it’s one of the most diverse suburban communities in the Milwaukee area, a key attraction.
As the city moves forward with the redevelopment process, it will be interesting to see what ideas come forward in actual proposals. Officials need to be open to plans that are more ambitious but could be more impactful to this corner of Milwaukee.
