In what could be considered a blow to efforts to lure the Kohl's Corporate Headquarters out of Menomonee Falls, news from the Journal Sentinel indicates the exact opposite will actually be happening. JS Business Reporter Tom Daykin reports that Menomonee Falls officials have produced an incentive and relocation plan to Kohl's that would involve up to $41 million in public spending to keep the corporate headquarters there. Under the Menononee Falls plan, Kohl's would relocate to the more esteemed Woodland Prime Office Park, closer to US 45. Daykin further notes that Kohl's will make the final decision on its corporate plans this Fall.
What should spark some interest is that in Franklin, officials are currently spearheading an effort that is slowly growing in controversy to build the Ryan Creek Interceptor Sewer (RCI), which would bring sewer to areas in SW Franklin and SE Muskego. The figure that has been used frequently relative to buyback of the sewer by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) is also $41 million. Mayor Taylor used Kohl's as a prime example as to why the RCI should be constructed sooner rather than later. According to the Mayor, lands in SW Franklin that would be served by the RCI are more than plenty to bring in a corporate headquarters the size that Kohl's was looking for.
So, to recap:
- Menomonee Falls has put together a plan to relocate Kohl's within the village that will likely include public spending up to $41 million.
- Meanwhile, Franklin has been working on a plan to bring sewer to the SW portion of the city at a cost of $41 million, ultimately to be taken care by MMSD if everything works out.
- Franklin used the Kohl's Corporate HQ scenario as an example as to why the RCI needs to be built.
To close this, if a hypothetical scenario was used in this circumstance and Kohl's decided to locate in Franklin due to the RCI being built, and wanted similar numbers that Menomonee Falls is providing, public spending in Franklin could have doubled up to $82 million for two projects ($41M for the RCI and up to $41M to bring in Kohl's Corporate).
