Milwaukee-based produce distributor V. Marchese Inc. plans to acquire another city-owned property as part of plans to expand its facility in the city’s Harbor District.
According to a city report, the company is looking to expand its existing building at 600 S. Jake Marchese Way by 50,000 square feet. To accommodate that expansion, the company would need to purchase roughly 0.9 acres of land directly north of its building from the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee. The land is located at 207 E. Florida St.
The land would be sold to MWM LLC, a V. Marchese affiliate that owns the existing facility. It would be used specifically for parking and truck staging. A good portion of the site would be paved, and the rest would remain green space.
“V. Marchese Inc. has invested heavily in its facilities in this area and continues to work on expansion and workforce development,” the city report states. “The development of 207 East Florida Street will allow Marchese to continue to grow.”
A representative of the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The newly expanded building will extend over an existing railroad spur to the west. The spur also runs north through the city-owned land on Florida Street. According to the city report, the owner of the spur, Union Pacific Railroad Co., has agreed to allow the stretch of track be removed to make way for the expansion.
The Redevelopment Authority will hold a public hearing on Sept. 19 for the proposed land sale. The land would be sold for $1 and the closing date will take place by Nov. 7, according to the report. Additionally, the buyer will be required to remove the railroad spur from the site within two years of acquiring the property.
If approved, the land sale would be the latest action taken by city officials in support of the project. For instance, in May 2018, the Common Council approved the sale of another city-owned site at 317 E. National Ave. to V. Marchese. That land is located across the street from the facility, and will be used as a parking lot containing 150 stalls.
