MILWAUKEE, WI
GATLIN DEVELOPMENT CO. TAKING NEXT STEP IN MILWAUKEE
Retail Developer Endorsed for Zoning Change
July 15, 2011
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Gatlin Development Co. has been recommended by the Milwaukee Department of City Development for approval of a zoning change for a 40,000- square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market in an area east of State Fair Park.
The proposed site, six acres between South 70th Street and South 72nd Street, is largely vacant. The current zoning for the site permits retail uses but would require the store be built closer to Main Street and 70th Street. Gatlin requested the zoning change to ease any impact the store may cause on adjacent neighborhoods. The zoning proposal calls for a landscaped buffer along Main Street.
“We understand the concerns of the area citizens,” said Frank C. Gatlin III, CEO of Gatlin Development. “That’s the very reason why we’ve requested the zoning change. If we don’t receive it, we’re open to building within the current zoning regulations, but we’re doing everything we can to keep the local community intact and residents happy.”
The site will include several features to enhance the surrounding area, including a remote system that locks shopping cart wheels if they leave the store’s parking lot, designed to keep carts from being dumped in the neighborhood, and a pedestrian connection to the nearby Hank Aaron State Trail. A member of the Plan Commission commented that these aspects would add value to the neighborhood and to the city.
In addition to benefits for the area, the development would create 65 to 80 jobs, with about 60 percent of those being full-time positions.
“We feel like this site will be excellent in every way. It’s beneficial to the community; it’s beneficial to the people. We’re excited for the chance to come in and use our retail development to turn a vacant property into a valuable shopping space.”
If the zoning request is approved by the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, construction on the store would take nine to 12 months.
About Gatlin Development Co.
Gatlin Development Co., Inc. is a real estate investment corporation specializing in retail shopping center development, management and renovation. The ever-expanding vision of CEO Frank Gatlin continues to widen the company’s investment focus while consistently providing maximized returns to investors, financial opportunities to retailers both large and small, and growth and revitalization to communities and local businesses facing challenging economic times. With headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and branch offices in San Diego, Calif. and Nashville, Tenn., Gatlin is well positioned and eager to pursue investment opportunities nationwide. For more information, please visit www.gatlindc.com or call (954) 302-5900.
Media Contacts:
Marina Buckalew
Gatlin Development Company
(954) 302-5900
mbuckalew@gatlindc.com