KAUKAUNA – The long wait is over for the announcement that Wal-Mart was coming to Commerce Crossing.
The city officially signed a deal this morning, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017 that Wal-Mart will build a new store in Commerce Crossing at the northwest corner of Interstate 41 and State 55.
The announcement was first reported HERE in the Post-Crescent.
Juniper Partners, a land broker for the retailer, signed a 90-day agreement three months ago, to study the site.
They recently made an offer to purchase about 17 acres for roughly $1.7 million, and the city accepted it.
“The purchase agreement has been signed,” Kaukauna Mayor Gene Rosin told the Post-Crescent. “It’s important to get some development out here. It sat way too long. This is going to be good not only for Kaukauna but this whole area. To have this located here is going to make that TIF district healthy.”
City planning director Bob Jakel told WHBY Radio last week that Goodwill Industries wants to open a store at Commerce Crossing, and another developer is looking to build a strip mall.
Jakel says Goodwill is willing to pay the city’s asking price, and the non-profit would make payments in lieu of taxes in the tax incremental financing district.
“We have five other land purchase sales out there contingent on a big box coming in. Goodwill is one. A local developer wants to do a strip mall out there. We’re also working with a developer out of Milwaukee for a clinic, a medical facility,” Rosin said.
Back in December, the Kaukauna City Council approved a letter of intent from Berkers Family Dentistry Doctors to build on a portion of the old dog track property.
The building would be about 6,000 square feet and could be built as early as Summer 2017.
Thomas K. Moeller, DDS and Christopher H. Berkers, DMD operate their current practice at 904 East Hyland Ave