FERTILE LANDS

Ozaukee County enjoys development surge

By Rebecca R. Konya

Residents from Brown Deer to Port Washington in Ozaukee County might soon have a new shopping center to patronize.

Plans are under way in the village of Grafton to develop a new retail complex at the northwest corner of Interstate 43 and Highway 60. The shopping center would be anchored by a Sam's Club.

Mike Bowline, director of retail development for Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc., Milwaukee, said plans also call for an Applebee's restaurant and a national Wisconsin-based furniture retailer. Other possible tenants might include an electronics store.

"Other names will materialize as the development matures," said Bowline.

Construction of the 364,000-square-foot complex is expected to begin next spring. Sam's Club will take up approximately 135,000 square feet of the total retail space. With plans still in the preliminary design stage, Bowline said no builder had been lined up yet for the project.

"We've spoken with several builders but haven't offered anyone the project," he said.

Fiduciary also is developing a condominium complex in Port Washington. The company broke ground in early October on its New Port Vista project, which will occupy 25 acres on the southwest corner of Highway 32 and Sauk Road. Bowline said the first phase will be ready for occupancy in late spring 2005.

"We anticipate putting up 50 condos over the first one and a half to two years," he said. He added that the entire 168-unit complex will be built in four phases over six to eight years.

"We're looking at building 20 to 30 condos per year depending on sales," he said.

In addition to a 4-acre lake meant to buffer the condominium development from the highway, New Port Vista will include a clubhouse and an outdoor swimming pool.

In nearby Saukville, Marcus Theatres will open a new 12-screen theater complex in February. The 60,000-square-foot Saukville Cinema, which includes 1,464 seats, will be located along Highway W and Foster Road, south of Interstate 43 and Highway 33.

Carlo Petrick, a spokesperson for Marcus Theatres, said the Saukville theater will be the first new cinema to feature the updated look that the company is integrating into its existing theaters.

"It will include several hallmarks such as real wood, granite marble countertops, marble floors and decorative moldings on the ceiling," said Petrick.

Other features of the theater's traditional art-deco style include alcoves, murals and an earth-toned color palette.

In Cedarburg, Milwaukee-based Stone Creek Coffee plans to raze a former Dairy Queen at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Washington Boulevard for a new coffee shop. Al-though there is no formal construction time line for the new Stone Creek, Tom Wiza, director of planning for the city, said the shop is expected to open next spring.

On the city's north side near Highway 60, there are potential plans for a new industrial park. The 60-acre site would accommodate business and light industrial tenants.

"The political will is there," said Wiza of the city's desire to move forward on the project.

Construction could get started in late 2005 once all of the necessary annexations have been approved and the utility extensions are in place. Cedarburg has been investigating since last year how to annex land to the north of the city and connect it with the property it owns along Highway 60 to make way for the new business park.

"It takes a little bit of time," Wiza said. "We're looking at construction starting possibly late next year, earlier if we have the utility connections sooner."

The city plans to implement a tax incremental financing district to help fund the new business park.

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