FRANKLIN — Developers ROC Ventures and Mandel Group Inc. are working together on a new development proposal that would bring 1,000 apartments to Franklin's town center.
The proposal was presented to the Franklin Common Council on Tuesday, according to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal. It spreads across three properties near S. 76th Street. and W. Loomis Road.
The plans include a new community of 430 nature-themed apartments, the demolition of the Orchard View Shopping Center, new restaurants, a hotel, and apartments in its place.
The Business Journal said the only part of the Orchard View property that wouldn't be demolished is the Ace Hardware Store. The plans propose a new mixed-use town center in its place with attractions including an ice skating rink, an area for food trucks, a public plaza for hosting farmers' markets, and movie nights.
The public square would be 3.5 acres, with an additional six acres of open space and trails for the community to enjoy.
Buildings around the town center would include 520 apartments in four-story buildings with underground parking, and a 50-room hotel. The plans also include 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of commercial spaces which would be dedicated to restaurants, and health and wellness studios or stores.
Across from Loomis Road, developers are proposing 52 acres of vacant land become 430 apartments across 14 buildings and 16 townhouses.
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the third component of the project is at Ballpark Commons. The plan is to develop a four-story building with 78 apartments and 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
The plans for that building also include an outdoor pool for residents of the apartments. That building would sit between South Ballpark Drive and Loomis Road, on the south side of Rawson Avenue.
The proposal comes just months after Luxe Golf Bays driving range opened. It is estimated the new development could generate as much as $4.5 million of disposable income spending each year.
