Home improvement retailer Menard Inc. is again seeking approval for an outdoor storage facility near the former Northridge Mall — which some city officials oppose.

The Plan Commission on Monday voted to delay a decision on rezoning the parking lot of a former Pick 'n Save supermarket, 8120 W. Brown Deer Road, to allow Menard to add the self-storage units.

The commission action comes after the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals in June voted 5-1 to reject Menard's application for special-use permits needed under the site's current zoning.

Eau Claire-based Menard, which operates a neighboring store, bought the former supermarket in 2017 and converted it into an indoor self-storage center — which the zoning board allowed.

The company wants to add 246 outdoor self-storage units on the perimeter of the 3-acre parking lot.

That $2 million to $3 million investment would generate more revenue for Menard and create a barrier to prevent illegal dumping and truck parking on the lot, according to company representatives.

Department of City Development officials oppose the proposal.

They say Menard's plans run counter to the type of developments they've been seeking for the area — which has seen few commercial projects since Northridge closed nearly 20 years ago.

The city's 2007 master plan for Milwaukee's far northwest side and other area plans call for creating jobs, redeveloping commercial corridors and revitalizing the Northridge site.

City focused on jobs, other development

Self-storage centers conflict with these goals, according to a DCD report. That's because they use a lot of space while creating few jobs and failing to spur commercial activity.

The Northridge site's possible redevelopment into light industrial space would include building design standards, high-quality landscaping and other features similar to the Menomonee Valley's redevelopment — which an outdoor storage facility wouldn't complement, the report said.

Tyler Edwards, a Menard real estate representative, said the proposed storage facility would be similar to other former neighborhood retail properties that have been converted to industrial use.

Those include the former Target store, at 8501 W. Brown Deer Road, renovated into a warehouse operated by Midwest Refrigerated Services Inc., he told commission members.

Edwards said Menard is losing customers because of the surrounding physical conditions, including the dilapidated former mall.

He said adding the outdoor storage units would allow Menard to improve the look of its property by preventing dumping.

"Our only goal is to control the environment we can control," Edwards said.

Stephanie Bloomingdale, Plan Commission chair, said there could be other ways the city can help Menard control and improve that property.

Other commission members said they wanted more information about the appearance of the storage units.

Fate of Northridge site a key factor

The larger issue hanging over the proceedings is Northridge's fate.

City officials have been trying to condemn the former Northridge Mall since 2019, when a raze order was issued by the Department of Neighborhood Services.

The department says the dilapidated mall poses health and safety risks, including four fires this summer.

U.S. Black Spruce Enterprises Inc., the Chinese investors group that owns Northridge, appealed the raze order to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

That court ruled in March the order was improperly based on the cost to repair Northridge to comply with code requirements for developed buildings — even though the mall is vacant.

So, the city's estimated cost included repairs needed to open the mall to the public — instead of more limited work, according to the decision.

Even under that more limited scope, the estimated repairs cost still meets the state's standard for a raze order, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Sosnay ruled on Oct. 3.

Sosnay's ruling paves the way for the mall to eventually be demolished — making the land available for new development.

Northridge, totaling around 100 acres north of West Brown Deer Road and west of North 76th Street, closed in 2003. It was sold in 2008 for $6 million to Black Spruce.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Menard's again seeks city OK for storage center near Northridge Mall