MILWAUKEE- A newly revealed plan to renovate the long-dormant Northridge Mall in Milwaukee isn’t inspiring confidence from city leaders.
In an interview with WTMJ Radio, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the plan unveiled this week by the property’s owners Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc look great, but it may be a case of too little, too late, “For ten year’s they’ve done absolutely nothing.”
MAYOR BARRETT’S FULL COMMENT
The China-based company took control of the mall a decade ago, promising to turn the space that had been sitting vacant since 2003 into a vibrant, new space, on the city’s north side, but nothing has come to fruition.
In April of this year the City of Milwaukee issued a demolition order for the building citing safety and health concerns. Black Spruce’s concept is their appeal to the order, saying they’d have the renovation done by the spring of 2021.
According to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal, the space would become an “Asian Merchandise Mart” that would include a food court, home furnishings, outdoor furnishings, as well as meeting spaces.
As of May 30th, the city’s raze order is still in place. Milwaukee’s Standards and Appeals Commission will hear the company’s pitch, in person, on June 20th.
