Franklin Today

Wyndham Village has new owner, new tenants coming soon?

Earlier today the Business Journal reported that the Shoppes at Wyndham Village was sold in a foreclosure auction to a Delaware-based firm. This ends a $19 million lawsuit and also frees up the shopping center to hopefully begin landing new tenants to fill-in vacancies in both the outlot buildings as well as parcels still needing to  be developed. Given the state of the economy, retailers and restaurants likely viewed a shopping center with an owner up-in-the-air as a strong negative in terms of whether or not to sign a lease.

With things settled, the Business Journal also reports that the receiver in-charge of Wyndham Village during the transitional period has worked on and seems close to landing one or more tenants at the center. Additional retailers would be a great plus for the center, and will give residents more variety closer to home.

Wyndham Village troubles bring reminders of the past

When the news broke about the Shoppes at Wyndham Village having financial difficulties, to the point of possible foreclosure, an old friend and reader posted a remark on Franklin Today's Facebook Wall:

Funny this is exactly what we told the Mayor would happen in the talks before they granted (Mark Carstensen Construction) free reign of the (Civic Center). If only they would have listened and put the Target down by the Fountains, we would have one good Shopping center rather than two on the edge! If only the leaders would listen to all the people and not just the ones with big wallets!!

Another reader sent me an e-mail:

Maybe someone should have listened to us when we told Carstensen that it was a stupid place to build a shopping center, or maybe we should stop giving Mark whatever he wants in the city of Franklin, before he ruins something else.

Back when this project was first proposed, I was a community blogger for FranklinNOW.com, and covered the project extensively. It was to the point where other bloggers mocked it, or would say things along the lines of those residents opposing the project were simply "enviromentalists" or "elitists". Reality was, residents of Franklin were originally told of a grand retail project that would have a village atmosphere on land that city documents label as part of the "Civic Center District". 

Why is that big? Well, Franklin and "civic" don't mingle very well. The only things "civicly" minded in our community are City Hall and the library, along with of course our parks, schools and fire/police stations. We don't have strong community attractions and amenities, examples being a performing arts center, community/senior center, or even decent athletic facilities for our extremely talented youth. Furthermore, we also don't have a strong civic district full of local businesses and restaurants combined with community amenities. For examples of that, look at Greendale's Broad Street or Wauwatosa's State Street. All the above are things residents here have been wishing and asking for from their leaders and developers. So when projects are promoted the way Wyndham Village was, the people originally rallied behind it.

But as the concept turned into reality, many things began to change.

The quaintness vanished and morphed from a civic-minded format and became home of big boxes and outlot buildings in a development one typically sees adjoining freeway offramps.

What did the Common Council in 2007 do? Nothing. It took an entire summer of hammering the issue, launching a community petition, and residents uniting to get the Plan Commission to convince Target Corporation to just modify their building's facade from an ugly version currently on display in Oak Creek to the one people see today. Other than that, nothing else was encouraged or supported, and the Council back then "rubber-stamped" the project forward.

What transpired over the years and now seems to have ended with this project was a municipal government more than eager to support a hometown developer's wish, even if that included making some bad choices. Wyndham Village is, by no means, what people label as a "civic center". It is disconnected from the very "civic" buildings the so-called district is trying to promote. Residents warned of this happening and tried to convince their elected officials to seek higher standards and truly get a "civic" project off the ground in this area, the people's "civic center district". Those elected officials, one of whom now running to take back his seat after being knocked off in 2008, ignored those people and went along with the blah and boring strip mall environment we see today. 

Wyndham Village did not generate the attraction needed to retain retailers and restaurants due to how generic the whole project truly is. People don't feel the itch to drive miles upon miles to a shopping center that resembles what likely is right down the block from where they live. Without uniqueness, along with another crucial element to be discussed later this week, it was doomed to fail.

Wyndham Village faces possible foreclosure

The news broke last Friday in the Business Journal, and since then no other local news source picked up the story. I view this as very significant, given the history not only of this project, but others as well since 2008.

It can be said that retail issues in Franklin are due to "global economic collapse". Unfortunately, that's the standard being used throughout the country and nothing is being done to buck the trend. Instead of shrugging shoulders and walking away, let's look for a solution and see if there are other factors leading to Franklin's very real retail problem. Some might disagree, but there really is a retail problem in Franklin. A community doesn't have what our leaders coined "The Big Three" in retail projects in 2007/2008 all end up in the pits. Yet somehow, some way, Franklin pulled it off.

Oak Creek steamrolls ahead while Franklin stalls

You'd think an economic recession never existed if you're in Oak Creek. Despite the economy, our neighbor to the east continues to move ahead. Just today, the Journal Sentinel wrote that the city approved $2 million to assist Bucyrus International in their takeover of the former Midwest Airlines HQ buildings, and is now considering a TIF District along the lakefront to spur additional growth there over the next 10-20 years.

Does anyone think 27th Street is on their radar these days?

In the meantime, Franklin continues to stall in efforts to attract businesses to just fill-in our existing vacant properties. You see, while Oak Creek is adding more sites, Franklin can't fill-in its current sites. That speaks volumes. Franklin needs leadership now, not later, to address this situation.

Oak Creek is doing the smart thing by planning now and getting their ducks in a row before the economy begins to grow once more. When it does, they'll be more than ready to take on any major project that comes before them. In Franklin's case, it'll likely become another situation similar to what happened during the last boom in the 2000s, where we kept hearing about how our Planning Department was overworked to the gills. Several of our Planners left during this period as well, leaving for greener pastures and less stress. That's what happens when everything gets dumped on your lap and there truly is no plan that's being followed.

Franklin leaders need to wake up and smell the coffee now. Fun and games are overwith. Our neighbors have been and continue to stake their claim as a regional destination for business in southern Milwaukee County. That should be Franklin's beck and call, considering that our community is more centralized in the region than Oak Creek. What will it take for our leaders to be motivated to take a proactive look at marketing and promoting the City of Franklin? Let the debate begin.

Sustainable projects in Franklin? Why not?

John Michlig put up a video on his blog this morning showcasing Retrofitting Suburbia author Ellen Dunham-Jones talking about recreating suburbia. Franklin has plenty of areas where the ideas and discussions by Dunham-Jones could be put into action, and transform Franklin's vital commercial areas and increase our tax base significantly, lowering taxes on residential properties. See the video below:

Two new tenants open at Wyndham Village

As noted several months ago, Sally Beauty Supply and Edward Jones Investments were slated to join the few but growing tenant list at the Shoppes at Wyndham Village. The other day, both businesses are one step closer to opening their doors (if they haven't opened already) by having their signs unveiled on their building's facades.

Sally Beauty Supply is located in the building along Hwy 100, joining Cousin's Subs, SportClips, and Verizon Wireless. Edward Jones Investments is located in the building along Drexel Avenue in front of Pick n Save, joining Ferch's and Huntington Learning Center. So far the only tenant to have been rumored as interested in Wyndham Village and not located there yet is Panera Bread.

Yesterday was the first meeting of the MAHDPRC

I was in attendance last night for the Mayoral Ad-Hoc Development Process Review Committee meeting, which lasted 2 hours on the dot (thank goodness for Plan Commission meetings at 7pm!). The first meeting covered several issues, but was dominated by the concerns of hometown developer Mark Carstensen. Carstensen's frustration about the development process in Franklin led up to a point where he mentioned that our community is referred to, at times, the "People's Republic of Franklin" due to our complications and strictness.

Residents push for sound barrier on Hwy 100

Several weeks ago it was brought up by residents living near the Hwy 100 & Drexel intersection that the additional traffic noise was becoming a nuisance. To that effect, they encouraged the City of Franklin to look at ways to mitigate this problem, including a possible installation of a sound barrier from Friar Lane to Drexel. The council recommended the Board of Public Works to look at the information and to make to provide a recommendation back to council.

As our senior population continues to grow, are we ready for them?

Last night, United Financial Group came before the Environmental Commission to request a special exception to fill in a small portion of wetland for two proposed apartment complexes for senior citizens. Forest Hill Highlands, as the entire project is called, is expanding in Franklin with these two new structures. There are already four structures that are part of this complex, and there could be almost a half-dozen more once the expansions are complete.

FPS thinks out of the box, helps local businesses

In FHS Principal Mike Cady's Podcast I reposted yesterday, he mentioned a new incentive for seniors - if you get good grades, good attendance, and are in good behavior, you have what he coins as a "free period". During this period, which is of the seniors' choosing, they may do whatever they feel like doing, including leaving the FHS campus. The period last 86 minutes, and would only be available every other day for seniors, but that still has an impact here in Franklin.