Oconomowoc not only community jilted by General Growth Properties
We were saddened, but not surprised, when General Growth Properties left Oconomowoc and Pabst Farms holding a bag full of broken promises last fall, pulling out of a multi-million dollar development deal that could have put a world-class mall on the city’s south side.
It seems that the good city of Oconomowoc isn’t General Growth’s only jilted lover. According to some wackadoo real-estate focused subsidiary of the Wall Street Journal General Growth has also left the city of Detroit standing at the development alter.
In Detroit, General Growth has pushed back the construction of the Shoppes at Gateway Park, a 330,000-square-foot open-air mall.
It’s fortunate, then, that the bizarre funding scheme that paid for the the development of Pabst Farms’ infrastructure is on track to be paid back, regardless of the construction of whatever “mall-terantives” are in the works.
Because there is no pressure on city leaders to scrape up tax revenue at any cost, project planning can be done smartly; leaders are free to hold developers to high ideals. Good for them.
Frankly, we just want that west-bound entrance ramp to I-94 on Sawyer Road. If it takes a mall to get it there, so be it.
February 15th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I support putting a toll on the exit to pay it off. In fact, let’s put a toll on every exit. Vote with your feet funding.
February 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Now that General Growth has backed out, it appears to me that what we will have is another strip mall, albeit a super-strip mall. If we’re not going to have the biggies that would make it a destination shopping experience, why not allow space on an edge someplace for a Wal-Mart? Something the local people can use.
Have you tried finding a parking place at the Watertown Wal-Mart? Even the Delafield one, which is not a Super, is always busy. I meet lots of Oconomowoc residents at both of them.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Pat, addressing the needs of the local community is something that the developers of Pabst Farms have kind of disregarded. In my experience, precious few of the residents of Oconomowoc are clamoring for a Bloomingdale’s or three more big chain hotels. Or a second hospital for that matter. :)
However, if you look at the land use plan, at least from the good old days of the General Growth, there was Big Box Development space provided on the development’s eastern-most side. Big Box Development _will_ happen at the Pabst Farms.
But as for a third Walmart within 25 miles? I’m not sure that’s in the communities best interest. A Sam’s Club? Maybe. But there how many Walmarts do we need in Waukesha County?
February 20th, 2008 at 1:49 am
I really don’t want a Wal-Mart, or Sam’s Club, or any Big Box stores in Oconomowoc. For as often as I need to go to Home Depot or Target, Delafield is pretty close. (OK, a Target in Oconomowoc I could go for, but only if it replaced that sad old KMart…)