Northridge Mall community planning meeting Wednesday; residents weigh in

MILWAUKEE - A community meeting to discuss the future of the former Northridge Mall property was held on Wednesday evening, March 19.

Meeting for the future

What we know:

Community members were invited to "help shape the future of the former Northridge Mall site."

The meeting went into the fate of the 58-acre property. Some ideas include green spaces, mixed-use neighborhoods and industrial areas.

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The state awarded the city $15 million for the demolition.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the city is exploring funding options for its contribution towards drawing in investors.

Weighing in

Local perspective:

"I worked here, our band played here in the late 70s," said Milwaukee resident Kurt Bardele. "At that time it was a glamorous place. It was somewhere people went as a destination, so to have gone from that to this is very sad to me." 

"I remember shopping here as a college student. This area was thriving, bustling," said Sabrina Jordan. "I’m very concerned. I drive up and down this strip all the time but I can’t really shop here." 

City officials respond

What they're saying:

"We expect that the demolition process will be complete probably no later than this fall, and following that, because the planning process is going on in tandem, with that, we anticipate to release the plan to the public," Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump said.

From there, the city will work to get it ready for potential developers.

"What is important is having space that is going to drive people into the city so that the city isn’t being driven out," Alderwoman Larresa Taylor said.

"Really, the possibilities are endless," Johnson said. "It’s a blank canvas and a huge canvas, the largest that we will have in the city of Milwaukee."

Demolition timeline

Timeline:

Demolition of the property began last year. The mall had been vacant since 2003.

In January, the Boston Store space on the east end of the mall came down; work began in March 2024. Crews began razing the former JCPenney location at that time, too.

The Department of City Development said in January that work remains on schedule and on budget. The city said it expects all mall buildings to be demolished by mid-summer. Environmental work continues inside the remaining part of the mall. 

Northridge Mall vacant

The backstory:

The mall closed in 2003, and an exodus of more businesses from the Brown Deer corridor followed.

"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," Al Hill, a longtime Granville neighborhood resident and past president of the former Granville-Brown Deer Chamber of Commerce, told FOX6 News in November. "I think that’s been a real detriment for the branding of the community."

The eyesore and frustration included multiple police and fire calls.

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The Granville Station Redevelopment, as the city calls it, aims to reimagine the property. Mayor Cavalier Johnson described the project as a "catalytic opportunity" for the city. That opportunity could include new housing, businesses and jobs.

As for what will become of the former mall, Hill said he 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.

What you can do:

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.

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