Wauwautosa-based Market Probe Inc. recently moved into the largely vacant, eight-story former Kenosha National Bank building, one of the tallest buildings in downtown Kenosha.
Market Probe is occupying 13,000 square feet of space on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors in the building for a call center. The company previously had a call center in 12,500-square-foot of space nearby at 520 58th St., but wanted a more attractive location, said Market Probe marketing communications coordinator Bob White.
“It’s a nicer place to visit if our clients want to come and monitor the call center,” White said.
Market Probe is a global research firm with offices in 10 countries. The company has about 100 employees working in the downtown Kenosha call center now and plans to increase that to 200 employees. The number of employees at the call center is constantly in flux because call center work is a transient job for most employees, White said.
“We actually have over 100 employees at the call center right now,” he said. “The evening shift is pretty close to full capacity, but as we add more business-to-business projects, as opposed to business-to-consumer projects, which require more evening calls, the day shift will grow. This is how we would ramp up to 200 employees.”
Market Probe moved into the building a few weeks ago and is still finalizing its setup. However, the call center is up and running. A grand opening is planned for mid-summer.
The 80,000-square-foot building, located at 625 57th St., was built in 1927. It is a landmark in downtown Kenosha, but it has been mostly vacant since 2001 when Firstar Bank moved out. In 2002, Clovis Point LLC, a real estate investment and management company owned by Paul McDonough, bought the building with plans to restore it.
McDonough is hoping to attract a bank tenant to the building’s first floor where a long marble teller counter runs nearly the entire length of the lobby.
Milwaukee
Community Financial Service Center Corp. is building a new main office at 2623 W. Center St., Milwaukee. The company opened its first location at 27th and Center streets in 1983 and currently has 23 locations throughout the greater Milwaukee area. The company provides a variety of financial services including check cashing, money orders, direct deposit of social security checks, Western Union wire transfer, bill payments, prepaid credit cards, bus passes, license plate renewals and phone cards. The building is being designed and built by Milwaukee-based La Macchia Group LLC.
Launchpad MCPR Inc., a marketing communications and public relations firm dedicated to launching businesses, products, initiatives and ideas, recently moved from Whitefish Bay to a new office in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward at 219 N. Milwaukee St. “Location is always important, even with the amount of business done in virtual space these days,” said Anna Baxter Kirk, president and owner of Launchpad, who started the company in her home. “This move represents the next big growth step for Launchpad and a wonderful new way to contribute directly to Milwaukee’s business marketplace.”
Wauwatosa
Aurum Design recently moved to a 1,500-square-foot space at 7604 W. Harwood Ave., Suite 203, in downtown Wauwatosa. The company designs graphics for film and television. Previously it was located in the Pewaukee home of Ken Kornacki and Neille Hoffman. They started the company in 1995. Its clients include The Oprah Winfrey Show. “Most of our clients are in the Chicago area,” Hoffman said. The company first looked for space in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, but couldn’t find the right place, Hoffman said. The Wauwatosa location is closer to their Pewaukee home, and they like downtown Wauwatosa village feel with shops and restaurants within walking distance, she said.
Taco Bell plans to demolish its restaurant at 510 N. Mayfair Road and replace it with a new Taco Bell restaurant.
Waukesha
Big Bend Development plans to build a 4,864-square-foot Steak ‘n Shake restaurant on the east side of Kossow Road between the Target store at 2401 Kossow Road and the CarMax store at 2441 Kossow Road. Indianapolis-based Steak ‘n Shake is a restaurant chain known for its burgers, fries and milk shakes. The company has 430 locations, but only one in Wisconsin in Wauwatosa.
Sheboygan
Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. plans to build a new store at 1028 N. 14th St., which is at the corner of Highway 23 and Highway 42 in the middle of Sheboygan. Starbucks has a location on the south side of Sheboygan at 3550 Washington Avenue Frontage Road and in the Target store in Kohler. Starbucks recently announced it plans to open another 10,000 stores in the next four years.
Muskego
Waukesha-based MRED-Cummings Real Estate Development Corp. plans to build a 14,820-square-foot Walgreens store on a two-acre vacant site at the southeast corner of Sandalwood Drive and Janesville Road. The store would be located just to the west of an M&I Bank branch at the southwest corner of Janesville and Moorland roads. About 35 people would work at the Walgreens store. Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. has more than 5,600 stores. The company already has a store in Muskego at S79 W18885 Janesville Road, which is about 2.5 miles to the west of the proposed new store.
Venture Development plans to build a 34,825-square-foot building at the southwest end of Enterprise Drive, in the Muskego Industrial Park, for RAS Delivery Services. The building will be used as a distribution center and corporate offices for RAS, which will have about 20 employees there. RAS Delivery Services, which delivers appliances, is currently located in a 16,000-square-foot building in the Muskego Industrial Park at S82 W18848 Gemini Drive.
Menomonee Falls
PH Menomonee Falls LLC plans to build an 8,194-square-foot multi-tenant retail building on a 1.3-acre site along the south side of Appleton Avenue between the Applebee’s restaurant and the Pick ‘n Save store at N78 W14501 Appleton Ave. Silks bar and a Superior Plumbing warehouse will be demolished to make way for the retail building. Qdoba is expected to be a tenant in the retail building. Wheat Ridge, Colo.-based Qdoba Restaurant Corp. has more than 300 locations (including 18 in southeastern Wisconsin) and is the second largest quick-casual Mexican chain restaurant in the U.S. behind Chipotle Mexican Grill. Qdoba is owned by San Diego-based Jack In The Box Inc.
Racine
Pointe Blue, the $200 million lakefront development planned by Waukesha-based KeyBridge Development Group, has obtained financing and should break ground soon, the company’s president Scott Fergus announced recently. The development will include 434 condominiums, 90 apartments, a marina, and 50,000 square feet of commercial space including restaurants and stores. The development will be built on a 20-acre site northwest of where the Root River meets Lake Michigan.
Delafield
Dallas-based FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Services Inc. plans to open a store at 2912 Golf Road in the Shoppes of Nagawaukee. FedEx Kinko’s has 1,300 business service centers in the U.S., but this will be its first location in Delafield. The closest FedEx Kinko’s to Delafield is in Pewaukee.
Ixonia-based ISB Community Bank plans to build a branch in the Village Square of Delafield. ISB has $354 million in assets and has six banking locations in Ixonia, Oconomowoc, Watertown and Dousman.
Delafield attorney Tom Aul plans to open a restaurant called White Oak Grill in the ground floor of a building he owns in downtown Delafield at 621 Milwaukee St. The restaurant will occupy 3,500 square feet of space. The space has been vacant for about a year since the Delafield Inn closed.
Century 21 plans to open an office in Delafield in a 3,310-square-foot space at 2301 Sun Valley Drive. It will be first location in the growing and affluent western Waukesha County area for the real estate sales company. “It bridges the gap between our Madison area offices and our Milwaukee area offices,” said Century 21 regional manager Vickie Kelsall. “We also do a lot of corporate relocations in Waukesha County.”
Sussex
The Village of Sussex recently issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the sale and commercial redevelopment of two adjacent parcels on Main Street in the village’s downtown. The combined parcels are about three-quarters of an acre. The parcels have three buildings that will likely need to be demolished. Information about the RFP can be obtained from assistant village administrator Jeremy Smith (262) 246-5200.
West Allis
Allied Healthcareer Institute plans to open a 1,500-square-foot health care training facility with the West Allis Center office complex at 1126 S. 70th St. Allied Healthcareer Institute offers pharmacy technician, medical assistant and nurse aid programs.
WHG West Allis LLC plans to build a 2,777-square-foot retail space for a Verizon Wireless store at 2871 S. 108th St. The store will be attached to an Applebee’s restaurant.
Snap Fitness plans to open a fitness center in a 2,400-square-foot space of the Berkshire Building at 6405-95 W. Greenfield Ave. The fitness center can be used by customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Vitamin Outlet and Health Foods plans to build a 2,300-square-foot store just west of the Taco Bell restaurant at 11011 W. National Ave.
Leases
Apex Commercial
Medical Impressions leased 2,507 square feet of office space at 150 N. Sunny Slope Road, Brookfield, from 150 Sunnyslope LLC.
Samster, Konkel & Safran S.C. leased 3,544 square feet of office space and Fox Sports Net leased 3,759 square feet of office space in Riverfront Plaza Joint Venture at 1110 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee, from Riverfront Plaza Joint Venture.
Computer Technologies of Wisconsin Inc. leased 3,671 square feet of office space, The Right One leased 1,279 square feet of office space and Uick & Stocklinger leased 860 square feet of office space at 740 Pilgrim Parkway, Elm Grove, from James and Patricia Williams.
Heartland Business Solutions leased 2,475 square feet of office space at 5403 N. 118th Ct., Milwaukee, from Monterey Park Ltd.
Impact Engineering leased 5,860 square feet of office space at 3315 N. 124th St., Brookfield, from Stone Properties.
Meyer & Wallis leased 9,599 square feet of office space at 731 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee, from Jackson Street Real Estate LLC.
Newark InOne leased 5,970 square feet of office space at 1230 Corporate Center Dr., Oconomowoc, from Wood Place LLC.
Dallas & Mavis Specialized Carrier Co. LLC leased 22,267 square feet of office and industrial space at 8201 104th St., Pleasant Prairie, from Varin/Pleasant Prairie I LLC.
Boerke Company
ASC Pumping Equipment leased 17,700 square feet of industrial space at 3064 Helsan Dr., Richfield, from Helsan Development Company LLC.
CB Richard Ellis
The City of Milwaukee Employees’ Retirement System leased 15,842 square feet of office space and Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc. leased 14,161 square feet of office space at 789 N. Water St., Milwaukee, from Water Street Investment Inc.
Generation Growth Capitol LLC leased 2,637 square feet of office space at 411 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, from Triple Net Properties Realty Inc.
Ruud Lighting Inc. leased 79,016 square feet of industrial space at 13900 W. Grandview Parkway, Yorkville, from Coastal GV9 LLC.
Converted Products Inc. leased 47,500 square feet of industrial space at 8500 W. Bradley Road, Milwaukee, from Nicolet Real Estate & Investment Corp.
Aurora Medical Group Inc. leased 1,435 square feet of space at 777 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, from U.S. Bank National Association.
Brown Deer Fitness Inc. leased 2,765 square feet of space at 3900 W. Brown Deer Road, Brown Deer, from Diverse Investments.
CJ Holdings of Grafton LLC leased 1,447 square feet of retail space at the southwest corner of Highway 60 and Port Washington Road in Grafton from Rick Schmit Rentals Inc.
Dunhill Staffing Systems Inc. leased 1,753 square feet of office space and ABM Property Management 1 LLC leased 901 square feet of office space at 735 N. Water St., Milwaukee, from Compass Properties North Water Street LLC.
Allay Home & Hospice Inc. leased 1,759 square feet of office space at 260 Regency Ct., Brookfield, from 260 Regency Court LLC.
BMC Weight Loss LLC leased 1,759 square feet of office space and Bellehaven Investments leased 500 square feet of office space at 275 Regency Ct., Brookfield, from 275 Regency Court LLC.
Brooke Investments Inc. leased 1,200 square feet of office space at 8333 W. Appleton Ave., Milwaukee, from IBEX 11 LLC.
Gregory Banchy leased 781 square feet of office space at 1251 Washington St., Grafton, from Grafton Direct LLC.
Colliers Barry
Padgett Business Systems leased 800 square feet of office space at 2840 N. Brookfield Road, Brookfield, from Robert and Shirley Smith.
Dickman Company
Viking Electric Supply leased 10,056 square feet of industrial and office space at 206 Enterprise Road, Delafield, from The Cannes Group LLC.
Mid-America Real Estate
Starbucks Coffee Co. leased 1,867 square feet of space, Cost Cutters leased 1,145 square feet of space and Verizon leased 3,006 square feet of space in Prairie Ridge Commons at 9900 77th St., Pleasant Prairie, from Prairie Ridge Investors LLC.
Beneficial Finance leased 1,908 square feet of space at 6525 S. 27th St., Franklin, from HD Retail LLC/Outlook Development Group.
All Credit Lenders leased 1,215 square feet of space in Highland Plaza at 8560 Brown Deer Road, Brown Deer, from 8600 Brown Deer.
Ogden & Company
Robert Jazgar DDS renewed his lease for 963 square feet of office space in the Oaks Building at 8112 W. Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa.
Siegel-Gallagher
Gray & Associates LLP leased 2,344 square feet of office space at 322-24 E. Michigan St., Milwaukee, from McGeoch Building LLC.
Sales
Apex Commercial
Endeavor Group purchased 7.27 acres at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Drexel in South Milwaukee from Margaret Halsey for $670,000.
CB Richard Ellis
Boulder Venture LLC, a Milwaukee-based developer, recently purchased 28.86 acres at the northeast corner of Janesville Road and Moorland Road in Muskego from Jewel Food Stores Inc. for $4.25 million. Jewel originally planned to build a grocery store on the site, which is located next to a Kohl’s department store. But those plans fell through.
Centerpoint Properties Trust recently purchased the 176,000-square-foot industrial building on 13.65 acres at 16800 W. Ryerson Road, New Berlin, from Mooreland Park Associates for $4.1 million. The sale was for about $1.4 million less than the property’s assessed value of $5.5 million, according to Waukesha County records.
Colliers Barry
Vera Tennis Center LLC purchased the 29,000-square-foot building at 2920 W. Vera Ave., Glendale, from Vera Avenue LLC. Vera Tennis plans to use the building as a tennis facility, which was its original use when it was built in 1970.
Dickman Company
Hot Water Real Estate LLC purchased 29,300 square feet of industrial space at 7254 N. Teutonia Ave., Milwaukee, from Satex Inc.
Mid-America Real Estate
Aldi Inc. purchased 2.21 acres at 2009 Lynch Way, Burlington from Highway 36/W II LLC.
New construction
Keller Inc. will be the general contractor for the 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store that will be built by Rademann Development LLC on Highway 20, just west of the McDonald’s restaurant at 2526 Main St. in East Troy. Construction is expected to begin in May and be complete in August.
