State grants $15M to Milwaukee to demolish and redevelop former Northridge property

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Gov. Tony Evers on Friday announced a $15 million grant to Milwaukee to redevelop the former Northridge Mall in the city’s northwest side. But the owners are still in a legal battle with the city in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

“This grant is only the latest example of how we are connecting the dots with our local and federal partners and working to build stronger, safer, and more prosperous communities across Wisconsin,” Evers said in a statement. “This project will remove a blighted property, address safety hazards, and clear the way for the site to be redeveloped into a significant asset for the community, bolstering growth and development for Milwaukee and our state,” he added.

The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to the governor’s office.

In 2019, the city issued an order to demolish the former mall, but China-based U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise has appealed it since. The mall has been the site for vandalism and several cases of alleged arson, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department.

The city previously purchased part of the Northridge property and the grant is meant to help complete demolition efforts, the governor’s office said. The grant will be used to remove asbestos, complete demolition work, relocate utilities and continue revitalization planning to turn the property into a productive development, the office added.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a news conference the city already had some money set aside for demolition and had plans to redevelop the attached Boston Store, which is a different property.

“I greatly appreciate the governor’s allocation of resources to address this significant problem,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. “The property is a danger to our firefighters and trespassers. It is a deteriorating building that drags down the surrounding neighborhood. I look forward to finally solving the safety and blight issues associated with this property.”

The original mall opened in 1972 and closed in 2002.