Meijer Working With Critical Neighbors in Developing New Store, Official Says

Meijer officials are headed into the final rezoning process on Thursday, but the neighbors along Larchmont Drive are fighting the supercenter proposal at each step.

The neighbors do not want the property at the southeast corner of Tenny Avenue and East Sunset Drive to be rezoned from residential to commercial, citing traffic and aesthetic concerns. The proposed development is nearly 193,000 square feet and is proposed for a 24-hour operation.

If approved, the store is planned for a 2015 opening. The public hearing on the rezoning of the property begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 201 Delafield St.

Jim Ostrowski, real estate manager for Meijer, told Patch this week the company welcomes the comments – even if the neighbors are fighting their proposal. The company has had people in the neighborhood talking about the future store and to receive feedback about the plans.

“We welcome the thoughts of people,” Ostrowski said. “We have always prided ourselves in working with communities. This is a good thing – this dialogue that is happening is a very good thing. We want to have that dialogue. We want to be a partner in the community, not just someone who comes in and does what they want to do.”

The family-owned supercenter has 200 stores in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. The business is entering the southeastern Wisconsin market and have experienced similar fights in Sussex and Oak Creek during public hearings.

“We think it is great. We are trying to work with them as much as possible to make sure this is a development that is beneficial for everyone,” Ostrowski said. “We have heard from a lot of people during this public process, we hear a lot of positive things also. We hear that people are really excited about Meijer coming to Waukesha. We like those comments also. This is just part of the process, and it is a good thing.”

Half the Meijer stores are located in Michigan, and Ostrowski said Waukesha residents familiar with the brand are excited for it to locate in the area.

Meijer isn’t just a grocery store – it’s a supercenter that offers household items and dry goods. However, opponents of the store are arguing that there are too many grocery stores in the immediate area, including multiple Pick N’ Save stores, Sentry, Walmart, Aldi, Target and Woodman’s already in the market. A second Aldi is opening at St. Paul Avenue and West Sunset Drive and a Walmart Neighborhood Market is being constructed on Highway 164.

Still, Ostrowski said Meijer has done market research in the southeast Wisconsin area and feels the customers are similar to those in existing markets. Wisconsin is a natural progression to Meijer’s growth in the Midwest, he added

“The grocery is really where we differentiate ourselves. The produce section and the fresh section, we feel we do different – different and better – than everybody else,” Ostrwski said. “I think it is a unique set of offerings that is just not in this market place. As far as the other competitors? Competition is a good thing. We have done enough research on this market … we believe there is enough for everybody here. We think this is a great market and there is enough for everyone to survive and do well.”

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