The City of Oak Creek is spending $3.6 million to buy 18 acres near IKEA with hopes to bring new development to the prominent piece of land.
But what kind of development?
In a July 22 news release, the city said there are no specific development plans identified yet. City Administrator Andrew Vickers was quoted in the release saying the acquisition positions the city to evaluate future opportunities that align with Oak Creek’s long-term vision and goals.
The Common Council July 21 unanimously approved the purchase of the land adjacent to the south side of IKEA’s parking lot. The city is buying the 18 acres at 1880 and 1998 W. Creekside Crossing Circle from Walden OC, LLC.
When asked if the parcel would be the future home to one large user or if the city would want to section off the parcel, Vickers told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via email that “the city views Creekside Crossing as one master planned development as opposed to smaller individual projects.”
“There is not a consensus plan for what our Common Council would like to see developed,” he said. “We will work through [the] visioning process over the next 1-2 years, prior to marketing the opportunity to the development community.”
According to Oak Creek’s interactive zoning map, the parcels are zoned B-6 Interchange Regional Retail, which is defined on the city’s website as intended for “high-intensity, destination retail, commercial and mixed uses along the federal interstate highway system.”
The city expects the transaction to be final by the end of September 2026.
IKEA opened its 290,000-square-foot store along West Drexel Avenue near Interstate 94 in May 2018.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oak Creek to buy land near IKEA for future development
Reporting by Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
