Council to Take Up Burleigh Triangle, Wal-Mart Plans Tonight

A number of developers and businesses will present applications tonight to the Wauwatosa Common Council to begin the city permitting process on their projects.

The largest conditional-use request comes from developers HSA Commercial Real Estate and Burleigh 45 LLC, which will bring forward a plan for a retail shopping center in what's known as the Burleigh Triangle, northeast of the junction of Highway 45 and Burleigh Street.

HSA has spent a number of years buying up the pieces of property that make up the Triangle, including the former Roundy's distribution center. The buildings will be repurposed with new facades and interior finishing.

"You will never be able to tell they aren't new buildings," said Tim Blum, executive vice president and director of HSA's Retail Division. "Conceptually, what we're doing is looking for new ways to get development moving again.

"The world changed in 2008, and large-scale new development went by the boards. We would never have been able to tear down and rebuild.

"The value proposition, if you will, is that we will strengthen the Mayfair corridor, clean up the edges of Highway 45 and Burleigh, and generate tax revenues and jobs."

At this stage, no tenant leases have been signed, although Blum said those discussions are under way.

Also on the agenda is Wal-Mart, which wants to redevelop the former Jewel-Osco store at 3850 N. 124th St. as a grocery and pharmacy.

The building, which has been vacant for about four years, covers 63,000 square feet, but Wal-Mart plans to occupy only 38,000 square feet. The company has said it will seek up to three tenants to fill the rest of the space, said Tammy Szudy, a Wauwatosa city planner.

As detailed Monday, will ask to expand its storefront at 7000 W. State St. to enclose more space for indoor seating. The footprint of the building will grown by only about 300 square feet, but it will allow the company to hold workshops in the enlarged seating area.

Other applications come from , 869 N. Mayfair Rd., for expanded outdoor dining, and for a massage therapy clinic at 2751 N. Mayfair Rd.

The will also put in an application for a new conditional-use permit for its new junior kindergarten-through-fifth grade Montessori School planned for the Fisher Building at 12121 W. North Ave. The School Board approved the new charter school earlier this year.

An application for conditional use is just the first step in the process, and the Common Council will not take public comments. Each of these requests, unless denied outright, will be sent first to the city Plan Commission on Monday and then to the Community Development Committee on April 26.

The Common Council will also get a first hearing on a new ordinance that would create the Community Development Authority, a single body that would hear and hash out development plans before sending them to the council, an attempt to streamline the sometimes cumbersome process of getting projects approved.

Patch gave details of the proposed development authority , and the full text of the ordinance is .