Tosa, developer set sights on empty store
Housing, retail planned for former Boston Store
The city of Wauwatosa bought the vacant Boston Store at Mayfair mall last summer. Now, the city is working with Mayfair Mall property owner Brookfield Properties to redevelop the 15-acre property.
Bon-Ton Stores Inc., Boston Store’s parent company, went out of business in 2018. After two failed offers from outside bidders, the city’s Community Development Authority purchased the parcel for $4 million in order to control its future.
“You want to be on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, or do you want to be Mr. Toad?” said Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride of the city’s purchase.
While it’s still early in process, here’s what we know about the future of the former Boston Store.
“Whoever comes in is likely to want to look at keeping the structure, because ... it’s a lot cheaper to retrofit sometimes than it is to build.”
Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride
Plans include retail and housing
The proposed use for the redevelopment includes retail and housing. It’s still too early to say which retailers will be chosen by Brookfield Properties, McBride told the Journal Sentinel on March 7.
“We’re trying to collaborate with Brookfield on its decision to just make sure that whatever is done is acceptable to all of us, but they’re going to drive the retail bus,” McBride said.
A recent housing study found that Wauwatosa needs more housing after its population growth exceeded expectations, while 92% of Wauwatosa workers live outside of the city. These findings are being taken into consideration, McBride said.
“We’re in the middle of everything, so it’s a convenient place for (housing),” McBride said. “So, we are going to be meeting some of the unmet housing demands as well.”
By this point, the city thought they’d be able to share more specifics, he said.
“We had hoped to be a little farther along at this point, certainly even a couple weeks ago, but all these things just take time,” McBride said.
Will former Boston Store be razed?
Whether the vacant store will be demolished remains an open question.
“Whoever comes in is likely to want to look at keeping the structure, because ... it’s a lot cheaper to retrofit sometimes than it is to build,” McBride said.
As far as he knows, “it’s a sound building,” McBride said, but the city won’t be surprised if some or all of the building is torn down.
Greendale redeveloping closed store
Further along in the process, the village of Greendale also purchased a Boston Store property at Southridge Mall in 2021. Barrett Lo Visionary Development plans to develop the property into a four-story, 790unit apartment development, with 50,000 to 60,000 square feet of commercial space.
As part of that plan, the building will be demolished.
Wauwatosa welcomes public input
All redevelopment discussions for the Mayfair Boston Store project have been in closed sessions so far, but city officials said they plan to give the public ample opportunity to speak their minds.
After the developer’s agreement is solidified, residents will be able to give public comment to officials, such as at the city’s design review board meeting or during scheduled public hearings to the common council.