The Brookfield Plan Commission is divided on how to move forward with a proposed five-story mixed-use building proposed at the redeveloped corner of Capitol Drive and Lilly Road.
Previously split into two lots, redevelopment of the corner would include razing the existing buildings to make way for the clean-up of environmental contamination. In addition, the lots occupied by Aamco Transmissions and Wheel & Sprocket would be merged.
In its current form, the five-story development would include 64 apartment units and a retail space to be filled predominantly by Wheel & Sprocket, a nearly 50-year-old bike shop.
“The current Brookfield store is actually our oldest operating facility … the building we are operating out of is tired, it’s obsolete; we just really can’t do the things that we want to do,” said Wheel & Sprocket President Noel Kegel.
The first floor of the development would be dedicated to commercial space, and the four floors above it would offer one- and two-bedroom apartments. The development would also include below-ground parking with 93 parking spaces.
One-bedroom units would offer 630 to 824 square feet, and two-bedroom units would be from 1,118 to 1,315 square feet.
There are also plans to build single-family townhomes just south of the new building; they would have two or three bedrooms and would include two-car garages with driveways.
The lots under consideration are labeled as B-1 local business district, but developers are hoping to have them rezoned as a planned development district, which permits mixed-use buildings.
Both the city's comprehensive and neighborhood plans designate the lot for “mixed use-higher density” projects with the goal of accruing investment and spurring economic development. However, some officials said the proposal is too dense and tall for the area.
Under the comprehensive plan, not all of Capitol Drive is designated for high-density development, although the corner lot is. The corner is designated as new suburban, according to overlay district requirements, and because of this, requires specific design and aesthetic qualities — including orienting buildings toward the street.
“This is truly, fundamentally different than anything else on Capitol Drive ... I do not see any type of development that is at this scale or proportion,” said Ald. Rick Owen, who also serves on the Plan Commission.
And, while not dismissing the project, some officials cited concerns that it could become too similar to Bluemound Road.
Others, such as Ald. Mike Hallquist, said they support the project's current parameters, saying this type of development is in line with the plans the city has going forward.
“It’s the exact kind of development that we want to see in this city,” said Hallquist. “We have a tenant owner who has shown some longevity in their business model.”
During the meeting, the commission suggested removing a floor from the building. But Jim Sedgwick, a partner from the real estate firm the Heimat Group, said removing a floor is not feasible.
The fate of the proposal will be determined by the Common Council at a later date.
Beck Andrew Salgado can be reached at 512-568-4070 or Bsalgado@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Beck_Salgado.