Northridge Mall demolition, Granville Station project 'clean slate'
MILWAUKEE - It's the beginning of the end for Milwaukee's former Northridge Mall.
The city is moving forward with the demolition of the sprawling property that has decayed for decades. It will eventually be a clean slate for what leaders hope is a brighter future, once it's redeveloped.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
"When I moved there, it was bustling. It was the shopping mall in Milwaukee, or in southeast Wisconsin," said Al Hill, a longtime Granville neighborhood resident and past president of the former Granville-Brown Deer Chamber of Commerce.
That time is long gone. The mall closed in 2003, and an exodus of more businesses from the Brown Deer corridor followed.
Northridge Mall property demolition, Milwaukee
"It’s been difficult, having such a large area just standing there – especially with the decay that it’s had over the number of years," Hill said. "I think that’s been a real detriment for the branding of the community."
And an unfortunate branding of what the neighborhood is and could be. That eyesore and frustration, which has included multiple police and fire calls, will soon be no more.
"Mr. Mayor, tear down this mall," said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
"This is a catalytic opportunity to do something really big on the northwest side of the city, and something that people here on the northwest side deserve," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
That opportunity could include new housing, businesses and jobs through the removal of what became of a symbol of what once was.
"Taking it down, giving yourself a clean slate, gives you that opportunity to change the image and get rid of that stigma," said Ald. Larresa Taylor, whose district includes the vacant property.
As for what will become of the former mall, Hill hopes it's not storage or light industrial – as found elsewhere in the area. Rather, he hopes whatever comes draws people to live, work and shop in a community atmosphere.
The city said the planning process for the future of the site will continue, alongside the demolition. The public can follow developments and provide input on the city's website.
To learn more about what has been dubbed the Granville Station project, visit the city's project website.
Milwaukee’s Northridge Mall demolition; final look inside
Through shattered glass, torn down ceilings and moldy floors, cameras captured the inside of Northridge Mall one last time.