Business & Tech

Developer Keenly Interested in Former Fire Station Property

A developer is looking to build a 20,000-square-foot, single-story retail space atop the former Fire Station #3 property.

A developer is “seriously” interested in constructing a multi-tenant retail outlet on the property where Fire Station #3 once stood on Moorland Road.

The city is looking to rezone roughly two acres of land at 1000 S. Moorland Road to make way for construction of a single-story, roughly 20,000-squre-foot, retail center. Commercial Property Associates (CPA), a retail brokerage firm, has already been in negotiations with several potential tenants for the center, but a design proposal hasn’t been submitted to the city. 

“We do not have a formal development proposal at this point, but we have a party seriously interested in developing the block,” said Director of Community Development Daniel Ertl during a neighborhood meeting Tuesday.

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Though specific plans are still vague, CPA Principal Jon Thoresen said a coffee shop — like Starbucks or Caribou Coffee — would likely anchor one corner of the retail center. That location would also feature a drive-thru window for commuters seeking their morning brew. He said negotiations are still too foggy to release names of other possible tenants.

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Ertl said the rezoning of the property would prohibit:

  • fast food restaurants
  • taverns
  • dance halls
  • amusement places
  • automobile repair shops.

Driveway access would be limited to Hackberry Lane. Ertl said the development would resemble The Shoppes at Brookfield Commons along Bluemound Road.

What's next

The timeline before shovels hit the dirt is still lengthy. The city-owned land must be appraised and a price set for developers. Then, the rezoning must first pass before plans can be submitted, vetted, and voted on by the proper city boards. Ertl said if all things go to plan, construction would begin by Spring 2014.

Brookfield residents can participate in the discussion regarding the proposal at 7:45 p.m. Feb. 19 during a public hearing before the Common Council.

During a neighborhood information meeting on Tuesday, the standard concerns that come with each development were aired. Residents in the area were concerned about traffic, drive-thru noise and exhaust, and flooding.

“We aren’t going to be adding any additional traffic,” Thoresen said. “We’re just going to catch the existing traffic there.”

Landscaping around the property would reduce the amount of light pollution disrupting homes near the redevelopment, and Ertl told residents in attendance that the city has improved its stormwater management for developments.

The former fire station property was years ago zoned for a residential and retail mixed use. However, when the market crashed interest in developing that site disappeared, Ertl said. 


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