Retrofit Atlas

Big boxes · Wisconsin

Midtown Center Walmart

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedReinhabitedRetrofit approvedMilwaukee, WI

Approved redevelopment: civic space, 200 affordable apartments, and storage on former Walmart site. Status: approved (2026), but construction timeline unknown. · summary, model-written

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Site profile10 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Finance and pipeline
Retrofit in the pipelineThis site: …approved newtypes-extraction · all sites with this
Place
3+ other atlas sites within 10 kmThis site: 4 within 10 km computed · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 33,159 on STH 145N fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Shrinking countyThis site: -2.8% census-acs · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Under the proposal, the city would receive a long-term lease for approximately 51,000 square feet at the front of the building for $1. The space would… record · all sites with this
ReinhabitedThis site: Under the proposal, the city would receive a long-term lease for approximately 51,000 square feet at the front of the building for $1. The space would… record · all sites with this
New use
Civic and governmentThis site: . The space would accommodate a replacement for the Capitol Library and another community tenant. Gorman & Company would develo newtypes-extraction · all sites with this
HousingThis site: …tenant. Gorman & Company would develop about 200 affordable apartments, known as Midtown Commons, on an underused portion of the s newtypes-extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …s, known as Midtown Commons, on an underused portion of the shopping center’s parking lot. Affordable Family Storage would opera newtypes-extraction · all sites with this
Self-storageThis site: ’s parking lot. Affordable Family Storage would operate the self-storage facility in the rear of the former retail building. newtypes-extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusRetrofit approvednewtypes-extraction
StrategyRedevelopment · Reinhabitation, approvedWikipedia
New usescivic, housing, retailWikipedia
What is there nowUnder the proposal, the city would receive a long-term lease for approximately 51,000 square feet at the front of the building for $1. The space would accommodate a replacement for the Capitol Library and another community tenant. Gorman & Company would develop about 200 affordable apartments, known as Midtown Commons, on an underused portion of the shopping center’s parking lot. Affordable…newtypes-extraction

Site context

Housing permits, Milwaukee County (WI), 2024788 units in 5+ unit buildings, 28 in 2–4, 189 single-family; 2023: 976 in 5+Census BPS
Other atlas sites nearby4 within 10 km, 10 within 25 km: Bayshore Mall (6.4 km); Plankinton Clover (8.6 km); Grand Avenue Mall (8.6 km); Prospect Mall (8.9 km)computed
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20232,482 establishments (-9%); 40,096 jobs (-2%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $286,344 (+4% 1 yr, +33% 5 yr); typical rent $1,507/mo (+5% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)33,159 vehicles a day on STH 145N (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 1,413 trucks; 7 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Midtown Center Walmart (Milwaukee, WI) is approved for redevelopment. The site will retain Walmart as a big-box anchor but add civic space, housing, and retail. The city will lease 51,000 sq ft for $1 annually (for Capitol Library replacement and community use). Gorman & Company will build 200 affordable apartments (Midtown Commons) on the parking lot. Affordable Family Storage will operate a facility in the rear of the building. The project was approved by the Plan Commission in 2026.

Why. The strategy aligns with peer redevelopments (e.g., Bayshore Mall, Prospect Mall) in Milwaukee County. The project addresses housing needs (200 apartments) and civic space, though the record lacks current construction status. The 'verified: draft' status and 'opp_score: 0.0' indicate incomplete documentation.

Where it stands. Approved (2026), but no timeline for completion. The site was previously a Walmart (closed 2016), with an earlier affordable storage proposal rejected in 2023.

For a planner

  • Nearby malls (Bayshore, Grand Avenue) remain built within 10km, suggesting ongoing retail demand.
  • Housing market shows rising ZHVI (3.7% YoY), but the project’s affordability metrics are unspecified.
  • Traffic data shows high volume (33,159 ADT) on STH 145N, supporting retail access.

For a developer

  • Project is approved but lacks construction start date.
  • Affordable housing component (200 units) may qualify for incentives.
  • County population decline (-2.8% 2018–23) is noted but not linked to project impact.

What we do not know yet

  • No current construction phase stated (approved ≠ built).
  • County population trend not tied to project viability.
  • Record is marked 'draft' with no final verification.

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Similar sites

  • Bayshore Mall, Glendale, WI · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in WI; 6 km away
  • Prospect Mall, Milwaukee, WI · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in WI; 9 km away
  • Parkland Mall, Muskego, WI · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in WI; 23 km away
  • Brookfield Mall Sears, Brookfield, WI · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in WI; 12 km away

Elsewhere on the web

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • county shrank -2.8% 2018–23
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

CountyMilwaukee County
Census division3 · East North Central
NotesDraft from urbanmilwaukee.com, model-extracted, unreviewed: The former Midtown Center Walmart, vacant since 2016, is approved for redevelopment into 200 affordable apartments, a new Capitol Library branch, and a self-storage facility.

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, year opened, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Timeline

  1. 2016 Walmart closed
  2. 2023 earlier AFS proposal rejected
  3. 2026 Plan Commission approved the project

Sources

  • Midtown Walmart Redevelopment Wins Approval After Contentious ...
    4 quoted sentences
    Midtown Center Walmart
    The approval represents a major step forward in the four-year effort to redevelop the Walmart, which closed in 2016.
    An earlier AFS proposal was rejected by the commission in 2023 after Chambers and the Department of City Development opposed converting the building primarily into self-storage.
    The City Plan Commission approved the project July 20 before a half-filled meeting room, a sharp contrast to the more than six hours of testimony, debate and interruptions that accompanied its June 29 hearing.

More in Wisconsin

Bayshore MallGlendale, WI · 2021Redeveloped · Redevelopment: mixed useBrookfield Mall SearsBrookfield, WI · 2019Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, retail and entertainmentCenterpoint Marketplace MallStevens Point, WI · 2012Redeveloped · Redevelopment: education, new streetHilldale Shopping CenterMadison, WI · 2006Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment: mixed-use residential, streetsPark Plaza MallPark Plaza MallOshkosh, WI · 2001Reinhabited · Reinhabitation, officeParkland MallMuskego, WI · 2016Redeveloped · Redevelopment: retail and residential