A developer plans to demolish the former Shorewood Queensway Dry Cleaners building and a neighboring residence at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Marion Street, but so far has not revealed any plans to eventually redevelop the site.
According to applications filed with the village, Bayside Management LLC is seeking to demolish the commercial building at 4300 N. Oakland Ave. and the house next door at 1808 E. Marion St. Additionally, the proposed work includes treating and removing contaminated soil, backfilling removed materials to grade, moving two utility poles to the eastern side of the parcel at 1808 E. Marion St., and planting grass at the disturbed areas.
Shorewood’s Design Review Board is scheduled to consider the demolition and site-restoration plans for both properties on Thursday evening.
The entity applying for demolition work lists Thomas Schafer, owner of Bayside Development, as a contact. The owner of the property, 4300 Oak LLC, is also registered to Schafer, according to state Department of Financial Institutions records.
If all permits and approvals are met, the demolition and soil-excavation work would begin late this summer or early fall, followed by groundwater monitoring through 2020. The application states there are currently no definite redevelopment plans.
Schafer declined to comment.
Bart Griepentrog, Shorewood planning and development director, said he has reached out to Schafer a number of times over the last year or so about the site, but the developer has so far not provided details as to what he may do with the site.
“I have spoken with him several times but he has never been able to share anything definitive on what the future plans are,” Griepentrog said.
The commercial building was operated as a dry cleaner from 1960 to 2017, according to the applications. As a result of those operations, the site has soils containing dry-cleaning solvent.
County records show the commercial property has an assessed value of $488,200. The residence on Marion Street is valued at $224,000.
