Zoning stalls for mixed-use redevelopment of North Shore Library

Listen to this article

By CLAUDIA LEVENS

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Plans to convert the Glendale office building that once held the North Shore Library into mixed-use residential, commercial and storage spaces have hit a snag, leaving the building’s future uncertain.

A motion before the city’s common council to approve an amendment to the comprehensive plan and make way for a new development district failed for lack of a second at the city’s June 8 meeting.

City Administrator Karl Warwick told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the city plans to work with the developers, Cobalt Partners, LLC and LaMacchia Group, to explore changes that might be more favorable to nearby residents – several of whom expressed concerns about plans for the storage area during a public hearing ahead of the vote.

But there are a few options for what comes next for the 4.33-acre property at 6800 N. Port Washington Road, Warwick said: the developer can do nothing and leave the property vacant, seek an amended proposal that aligns more with public and council sentiment or seek a full redevelopment of the site, which would likely require tax incremental financing.

“We will revisit those with the developer and hopefully come back to the common council with either a revised proposal or something different,” Warwick said.

Proposal had four sections, consisting of commercial, residential, storage and future development

The project as initially proposed would have had four zones, according to the general development plan:

• Zone 1 on the western side of the site would include commercial and business uses, such as retail or restaurants.
• Zone 2 on the eastern and northern sides of the site would encompass the residential side of the development with townhomes or garden-style multi-family buildings with up to 16 units per acre.
• Zone 3 at the center of the site would have an indoor self-storage facility.
• Zone 4 on the southern end of the site is intended for landscaped open space during initial phases of development, but it could be developed to further expand Zone 3.

Some residents had concerns about the storage and unknown elements, echoed by council members

At the meeting, four residents expressed concerns about the storage element, traffic and the unknowns of Zone 4.

Laura Felix, executive director of the St. Francis Children’s Center, which is adjacent to the site, said the center opposes the development. “Self-storage facilities often have limited on-site staffing, high-valued goods stored within them and customers who may only visit occasionally,” she said. “These characteristics can create opportunities for theft, vandalism and other criminal activity.”

Concerns about the storage facility aspect were also echoed by members of the council.

Alderman Steve Schmelzling said he supported the residential and commercial elements but not the storage facility.

Alderwoman Tomika Vukovic agreed.

“I have always been against storage facilities for Glendale,” Vukovic said. “We have so little space. We are landlocked, and if we are going to try to use any land, it should be to enhance or enrich what we’re trying to do, making Glendale a place to live, a place to work and a place to play.”

At the same time, she and other members of the council want to see something new at the site.

Schmelzling said the prospect of new development was part of his expectation in supporting the library’s transition to Bayside.

Cobalt president and CEO Scott Yauck said that philosophy guide the proposal brought forward and the goal is to make the storage facility high end. He also said be open to adding additional restrictions to the development district.

Prolonged vacancy at the site has left limited options, developers said

The proposal stemmed from efforts to make the property more marketable after years of vacancies, according to Cobalt’s application materials.

The North Shore Library’s transition from the first floor of the building to the $200 million One North Development in Bayside in late 2025 left the property completely empty.

At the June 8 meeting, Yauck and Warwick pointed to recent studies showing a strong market for storage facilities exists in suburban areas.
The proposal had previously passed a Planning and Architectural Review Commission in a 6-1 vote on June 2.

At that meeting, Yauck said he did consider other options for the site, including an entirely residential development. But the high costs would require tax incremental financing, which Glendale’s city code only supports for sites with environmental concerns. The site was previously under a TIF in 1975 to address contamination and develop the office building and the nearby Coventry Apartments, Mayor Bryan Kennedy said.

Developer and building owner duo are also behind Bayside OneNorth Development, home to the new North Shore Library

In late March, the City of Glendale sold the building for $750,000 to William LaMacchia’s LIV Enterprises LLC, according to Wisconsin Department of Revenue records. According to Cobalt’s application materials, the estimated value would rise to more than $10 million if built as proposed.

LaMacchia and Cobalt are the developers behind the One North project, which also includes the Symphony Apartments building; the Artalia, a $40 million apartment community for seniors; and a mixed-use development with 180 luxury apartment units, a health and fitness club and a full‑service grocer.

The new North Shore Library space, on the first floor of the Symphony Apartments building, was donated to the library by La Macchia. The gift amounted to roughly $4 million and helped kick-start fundraising for the new project.