Franklin Today

Three Cellars breaks ground on new beer & wine garden

After several months of working with the city on issues, Three Cellars proudly had a groundbreaking "ceremony" last Thursday to celebrate the construction of its new beer & wine garden. This will be a great addition to the 76th & Rawson business district and to the community at-large, which needed something like this since Ka Martini Lounge closed several years ago. Three Cellars is located on the opposite end of Hanley's in that tiny strip mall. The beer & wine garden will replace what was a tiny, one-lane parking lot, and in essence would double the size of the business during warmer months.

Three Cellars is already one of those "hotspots" for "who's who" in the community. I fully expect the beer & wine garden to bring more people and neighbors to the business, making it a true community gathering place after work.

Dog Grooming and Pet Supply shop opening soon?

Tonight's Plan Commission agenda has a public hearing and business item for a special use approval for Lulu's Dog Pawlour, LLC. The business wants to have a dog grooming and pet supply shop at 7129 S. 76th Street. This address places it at the 76th & Rawson intersection, at either the strip mall hosting Hanley's and Three Cellars or the Orchard View Shopping Center, which currently has a Walgreens under construction in its parking lot.

Knowing that dogs are in many Franklin homes, Lulu's Dog Pawlour, if approved, should be a hit with families if the prices are right. 

Farmer who fought for his land has died

The Journal Sentinel is reporting that yesterday a fire killed Gerald Mahr, a Franklin farmer who lived on a jewel of land along Loomis Road near the "Loomis Triangle" of Loomis, Rawson and 76th Street. Mahr's death is news because of past interest in developing the land by both developers and the City of Franklin. In 2005, the Journal Sentinel broke the news about how the city was going to rezone Mahr's land for developer interests despite his intentions on staying put in his home. 

Since that 2005 story, it doesn't sound like things were well with Mr. Mahr, with the Journal Sentinel offering a bleak glimpse into his situation up until death:

In recent years, the home had broken windows and no heat; animals, including his beloved stray cats, moved in and out freely. Mahr, who suffered from numerous health problems could barely care for himself but refused to leave, and often heated the home with space heaters.

Due to the land being extremely valuable, the state fire marshal has been brought in to review the blaze and the Franklin Police Department is promising a very thorough investigation. Once the investigations are done, the land will likely be on the market, which will be in addition to the 51 acres of land for sale next door. Combining both properties, whatever development occurs could be directly linked to the Franklin Centre strip mall on Rawson Avenue, and would definitely highlight something Franklin residents have wanted for a very long time - a strong central business district.

"Historic 41" on full display

It took about a year-and-a-half since Milwaukee & Greenfield announced a partnership to revamp a portion of 27th Street from St. Luke's Medical Center to College Avenue for it to be almost complete. A friend of mine at work commented before she went home to go check it out, and so I did. While it looks like there's still some finishing pieces to the overall project, the good bulk of it is now up.

Some updates from Alderwoman Kristen Wilhelm

Ald. Wilhelm Nov. End Updates

The sale of Crystal Ridge is back on the radar

The Journal Sentinel reported on Saturday that in his proposed 2011 budget, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is depending on $8 million from county land sales to make up for some expenditures the county needs to do, such as $6.6 million for renovating O'Donnell Park (the parking garage which had one of its panels fall off this summer). Of those land sales, Walker specifically mentions $3 million from the sale of Crystal Ridge and its ski hill. This number has significance, and it's $1 million less than the original $4 million figure I've been hearing the county has asked for several months ago. Here's why.

9/17 Examiner.com post of the day

76th & Rawson: A gateway that shouldn't diminish and suffer

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Who wants to buy a former Blockbuster store?

The former Blockbuster on 76th & Rawson is up for sale and can be yours for $1.3 million, with taxes of $25,862.64.

Blockbuster Flyer

Orchard View's tenant search makes the Business Journal

Last Friday's Business Journal featured an article covering Franklin's Orchard View Shopping Center on 76th & Rawson. The focus of the article was on the center's recruiting of tenants, as well as the center's long-term plans. Included also were several quotes from Franklin resident & developer Jim O'Malley, whose family owns the shopping center and parcel of land directly behind it.

I feel the issue here is the status of the 76th & Rawson intersection itself. There are some, like Mr. O'Malley, who view the intersection as one that can only hold a "neighborhood" shopping environment - the food stores, drug stores, local small businesses, coffee shops, fast food joints, etc. However at the same time there are folks like me who are taking a lot of things into consideration and creating a larger vision than what could be in the minds of some.

Combine all of this and you'll see where I'm coming from:

• 51 acres are up for sale directly SW of the Franklin Centre shopping center (Pick n Save & Office Max development)
• 20 or so acres are for sale on the western side of Loomis Road along Rawson Avenue & Old Loomis Road
• A Hampton Inn & Suites hotel has been proposed directly north of the Citgo
• The Mayor and Mr. O'Malley have discussed a revitalization of Crystal Ridge Ski Hill several times over the recent years
• O'Malley owns 15 acres directly east of Orchard View
• approx. 8 acres are up for sale in front of those 15 acres, along Rawson Avenue
• The 5 Star Coffee/Ka building needs tenants
• Upscale, high end tenants were considering locations within the Fountains of Franklin shopping center before the Foxes decided not to sell their property, and the City of Franklin decided not to enforce their ordinances, thus killing that project.

If higher end tenants, the Ann Taylors, Coldwater Creeks, Jos. A. Banks, Jareds, etc. were interested in a site 20 blocks to the east, across from a quarry, with only one true major road access (Rawson) - how does a site 20 blocks west, in what many label as a "downtown", with three major roads accessible (76th, Loomis, Rawson), and just south of a major shopping center (Southridge) appeal to them? I'd argue very good, since these retailers wouldn't focus on Southridge due to its demographics and a lack of motivation from the mall's owners to change the ship's course. Furthermore, there are many retailers and restaurants who still need to build a location south of I-94.

(Again, another if here) If those who hold the keys and power want to develop 76th & Rawson into a true central business district, this is the time. I think folks like O'Malley are almost forced into considering what the intersection will be, now and in the future. Will it just be a place with drug stores and grocers and banks and what not, or will it take on a form where it becomes a true and vibrant downtown, serving a community, a region, rather than a couple of neighborhoods.

With the amount of acreage up for sale, and the amount of space up for lease at Orchard View, the time is NOW to plan and move forward with one of those two options. Personally, I'd like to see 76th & Rawson become its full potential:

• Crystal Ridge anchoring some recreational activites
• The 20 or so acres on the western side of Loomis holding offices
• The 51 acres next to the Franklin Centre strip mall becoming a mixed use residential, office, and retail mix
• The Hampton Inn being built behind the Citgo
• The 5 Star/Ka building becoming a singular coffee shop or restaurant
• Orchard View, the 15 acres behind it, and the 8 acres along Rawson joining forces and becoming another mixed use residential, retail, and office center

The City of Franklin & the Franklin Public School District would be oozing with new revenue streams with that vision. Couple it with what nearly 270 residents would like to see happen at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex, and Franklin becomes a hub of activity and growth, and I'd be willing to bet that taxes for residents will stabilize, if not drop slightly. This is something that the Economic Development Commission should discuss - but hey, they cannot even make quorums these days!

This is what investing in a community does, and again - why this needs to occur NOW.

Walgreens breaks free of shopping center, and vice versa

This morning I spoke with Jim O'Malley, whose family owns the Orchard View Shopping Center, and received some new information on what's happening there. Yesterday we talked about the rumors that were swirling around about the center's future and the possibilities of tenants being shuffled around to accommodate a desire by Walgreens to have a drive-thru. It turns out that there will be no need for any shuffling, since Walgreens is breaking free of the strip mall and building a freestanding store in front of the former Sentry. See the site plans below (or after the jump):