As Terrence Berres says in his blog, "If the police station, library, post office, and now the new high school, could have been added in, maybe that would be a downtown."
Nonetheless, ink in the downtown weekly - not particularly insightful ink, at that - is a nice coup for for the Fountains of Franklin developers.
Building a Downtown From the Ground Up
From the Shepherd Express
Franklin has never had a true city center or downtown. But that’s supposed to change within the next year or two with a development called the “Fountains of Franklin.”
Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor expects the high-end development to be the center of activity for Franklin and the rapidly growing suburbs of Oak Creek and Muskego, as well as parts of northern Racine County.
The nearly 500,000-square-foot mixed-use development on 60 acres of land at 51st Street and Rawson Avenue would be second in the region only to the Southridge Shopping Center.
The project is estimated to be worth $90 million when completed and is headed by Equitable Development LLC. The plan originally called for a 70,000-square-foot project, but it was greatly expanded when Sendik’s Food Market decided to locate a 62,000-square-foot store at the site and the Franklin Cultural Arts Center decided to build a performing-arts facility at the location. That center would be home to community and school theatrical performances as well as other exhibits, said Don Dorsan, president of the non-profit center.
The project will also include a 60,000-square-foot professional/medical office facility, multiple restaurants, retail stores, a bank and a 24-pump gas station.
Mayor Taylor pointed out that the project remains in the conceptual stage but added that developers would like it to be completed by the spring of 2008—just a year from now. While the city might have to pay for some infrastructure improvements, he said the project would add significantly to the city’s tax base.
The mayor said the area is ready for such a project, since Franklin and Oak Creek are the two fastest-growing communities in the area. “The Southeastern Wisconsin [Regional] Planning Commission estimates that Franklin will grow from 33,000 to 57,000 by the year 2035 and Oak Creek will grow from 33,000 to 65,000 in that same period,” Taylor said.
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