CITY OF FRANKLIN, Wis. — Strauss Brands' ongoing attempt to build a new slaughterhouse in the City of Franklin has come to a halt.
After the Plan Commission hearing Thursday night, the company said it is abandoning its plans after the community made it clear that it does not want the plant.
Strauss says it is now looking to sell the land that would have been used for the slaughterhouse, and will now seek other opportunities to expand.
In 2019, Strauss was forced to cancel a proposed $60-million facility in Milwaukee in the face of opposition from protesters and a vote from the Milwaukee Common Council.
The Franklin-based company then proposed its 150,000-square-foot building on land it owns in the City of Franklin, at Loomis Road near Ryan Road. Strauss promised the plant would hire upwards of 270 workers.
But critics expressed concerns over the smells, property values and pollution such a facility might lead to. Executives with Strauss contended the high-tech plant would be clean and efficient.
Strauss already operates a meat processing plant, albeit smaller than the proposed one, in the Franklin Business Park at 9775 S. 60th St.
Strauss has operated in the city for more than 50 years.
