GRAFTON, Wis. — A Grafton store will soon be redeveloped into a Chick-fil-A and a Cafe Zupas, following more than two years of planning and recent approval from the Grafton Village Board.
After two years of ironing out the details related to parking and traffic, the village board earlier this month approved the partitioning and rezoning of the land that is currently home to an OfficeMax.
According to the application documents, construction could begin as early as August, with both restaurants potentially opening next year, pending approval from the village's Architectural Review Board.
WATCH: A Grafton store will soon be redeveloped into a Chick-fil-A and a Cafe Zupas
The site sits within one of Ozaukee County's main commercial hubs, an area that has grown significantly since the turn of the century to include big-box retailers such as Costco, Target and Kohl's. The area also includes Aurora Medical Center, and an increasing number of apartment developments to the South.
Jo Clemons, who visits the development to shop, said she has been anticipating the project.
"We heard about it about a year ago, and have been watching," Clemons said. "So we're excited."
Clemons said she also welcomes planned improvements to the nearby intersection with Port Washington Road. The Village Board discussed extensions to the existing turn-lanes, plus added protection for the pedestrian crosswalks.
"It really needs a little improvement because it gets very congested there," Clemons said.
Hilary Ellis, who works in the area and stops at the OfficeMax regularly to purchase activity supplies for her job at a local nursing home, acknowledged the site has seen better days.
"It does need to be redone, like the parking lot is not that great, and it's kind of starting to get a little run down in this one spot," Ellis said. "It'll be sad since I come here a lot for work."
Still, Ellis expressed mixed feelings about the broader pace of development in the area.
"In some ways, I love it, and in other ways, it's taken away from what it used to be," Ellis said.
Not all community members share the enthusiasm. Some have raised concerns about the increased traffic the two new restaurants are expected to bring to the area.
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