In what can be called a longtime-coming attraction, Marcus Corp. has sought City of Oconomowoc approvals for a 16.5-acre parcel at Pabst Farms with a silver screen in mind.
The parcel – along Summit Avenue and adjacent to Fleet Farm just north of the Interstate 94 westbound exit ramp – may raise the curtain on a development concept that dates as far back as 2006: an attraction that would add to the “play” aspect of Pabst Farms’ long-term “live, work and play” development vision.
While a formal site plan has yet to be submitted, it signals the company’s intent to build a new theater within Pabst Farms Town Centre, the mixed-use development that has evolved over time but is now stepping closer to full development.
As part of its land acquisition, Marcus’ real estate affiliate B&G Realty has asked the City of Oconomowoc to reconfigure the layout of the parcel under an amended general development plan – the same plan that guided the construction of the Fleet Farm store, apartments, an innovation tech campus, Costco and other nearby buildings in recent years.
The parcel, identified as “Area 1” in the city’s Pabst Farms Centre planning documents in 2024, had already been partially earmarked for entertainment use, based on tentative interest Marcus had shown two years ago, according to city officials. But Marcus, which later acquired the land in 2025, wasn’t involved in the parcel’s initial layout, which includes several general commercial outlets that would be developed later, possibly by other firms.
On March 4, Oconomowoc Plan Commission members expressed support for eventual use for a theater, along with neighboring commercial buildings, but they weren’t as comfortable with the exact layout Marcus officials have in mind, according to City Planner Jason Gallo.
“They were favorable regarding the proposed flipping the ‘entertainment’ use with the other ‘general commercial’ uses,” Gallo said in a March 5 email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “However, they felt there could be improvements made to the overall site layout.”
The panel postponed a vote on amending the planned development and general development documents that will allow the entertainment segment of Area 1. Officials asked Marcus to return with a revised layout proposal in April. Input for that revision may come partly from a March 17 public hearing on the amendment, he added.
However, in a staff summary presented to the Plan Commission, Gallo expressed support for Marcus’ plans and the timing of the company’s request.
“[The planning department] is very pleased that Marcus is moving forward with development on the lands they purchased,” Gallo wrote in his summary. “This area was not finalized in 2024, and it was well documented that this area was to be changed sometime in the future. That time is now.”
In a letter to the city requesting the amendments, Marcus officials pointed out how the plan makes sense, from the city’s standpoint as well as its own.
“These investments help advance the public benefits envisioned in the [planned development document], including vibrant streetscapes, cohesive architecture, multimodal access, and an appealing mix of retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities,” Eric Olson of B&G Realty wrote in the letter.
A site plan – a detailed blueprint showing the buildings, parking lot, green space and architecture – is expected to be submitted soon if the city amends the development plan. City officials said to date, no timeline has been discussed for construction.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marcus eyes new theater at Pabst Farms next to Oconomowoc Fleet Farm
Reporting by Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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