Shoppes at Fox River gets final approval from Waukesha Plan Commission

Submitted photo
The yellow buildings show where the future tenants will be at The Shoppes at Fox River on the west side of Sunset Drive.
Published on: 7/29/2014

The proposed expansions for The Shoppes at Fox River on Waukesha's southwest side has received final approval by the city's Plan Commission.

The planning panel on July 23 unanimously approved a final site plan and the architectural planned unit development review of the project, 1180 W. Sunset Drive, located on the west side of Sunset Drive on the corner of Chapman and Spring City drives.

Doug Koehler, a planner in the city of Waukesha's Planning Department, said the development could come before the common council for final approval at its next meeting.

The proposed expansion could bring in six additional retail/dining outlets. One of the proposed tenants is a 65,000-square-foot building next to Hobby Lobby. Another is a 90,000-square-foot building for five tenants, according to the developers' proposal.

Four buildings totaling 31,000 square feet on the property are also in the proposal.

Koehler said the developers of The Shoppes at Fox River were once again in attendance at the Plan Commission meeting but did not reveal who the interested tenants are for the site. Representatives for Ramco Gershenson Properties Trust have also been tight-lipped at earlier meetings about the potential tenants.

However, Edward Wizner, the vice president of development/redevelopment for Ramco Gershenson Properties Trust, said "a large sporting goods store" could come to the shopping center as well as a well known national restaurant.

Wizner said he couldn't disclose the tenants until a lease is signed or until all the necessary approvals are given.

At the July 1 Common Council meeting, the council approved multiple items relating to the project, including the preliminary site plan and architectural review.

The council also approved a change in the land-use plan for 9.86 acres from industrial to commercial and rezoned the site from Limited Business and Industrial Park to a Community Business Planned Unit Development. These approvals were necessary for the project to continue moving forward.

The proposed additions would join a growing shopping center that has expanded over the last four years, which has included the anchor tenants, Pick 'n Save, Target, TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby as well as national restaurant chains.