The Mequon-Thiensville Town Center Project

Now It's Time to Bring Development to the Town Center

2010-06-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

The last meeting of the Mequon/Thiensville Town Center Committee was held on Thursday evening June 20, 2010. This was a special meeting, not just because it was the last for the committee, but a number of past members were able to attend. The meeting was held at Thiensville Village Hall and before the meeting we were able to view the new fish ladder being constructed around the Mequon/Thiensville dam.

It is a very positive step to see the Town Center initiative move from the planning and design stage to the implementation stage. As a transition from the Town Center Committee, monthly meetings are being held by Mayor Gielow and Village President Karl Hertz along with the administrators from the two municipalities. This will assure that there is coordination between the two communities with economic development being a high priority. The Mequon Council and Thiensville Village Board are the bodies that need to make things happen and it appears they are working aggressively to do that in a challenging economic environment.

I want to thank the many volunteers who have served on the M/T Town Center Committee and sub-committees since our inception in 2003. I want to also thank the leadership and staff of our two municipalities as putting together the zoning, design guidelines and financing has been a major undertaking. I also want to thank the M/T Chamber of Commerce that has played an ever increasing role in this initiative. There has been excellent cooperation between our two communities and I feel confident that will continue.

Let's look forward to an increasingly attractive, pedestrian friendly, town center where we can live, shop, walk to the library, watch a baseball game, swim, stroll on the Rotary Riverwalk, stop for coffee or ice cream, relax overlooking the river, and enjoy an even better quality of life in our Mequon/Thiensville community.

Stan Smith, Chair

M/T Town Center Committee

Town Center moves to the "Selling Stage"

2010-04-09T13:48:00.001-07:00

At our March 18, 2010 Town Center Committee meeting, we voted to move forward in to a new era with the Town Center implementation. Now that the Town Center structure is in place with zoning districts and design guidelines, it is felt that a new structure of cooperation between the communities is in order. With a new Mequon mayor coming in to office, it seemed like an appropriate time to take the next step.

Working closely with Mayor-elect Curt Gielow and Village President Karl Hertz, along with the administrators of the two municipalities, it was agreed that the Mequon Council and Village Board were in the best position to work along with the Chamber of Commerce on the next steps. Specifically, the Town Center Committee passed the following motion:

The M/T Town Center Committee recommends that this Committee formally dissolve effective May 31, 2010 and that the Mayor, Village President, and administrators of the two municipalities meet on a regular basis to focus specifically on:

· Developing ideas for economic development within the Town Center area that can be referred up to the respective municipal leadership for consideration, debate and implementation.

· Develop coordinated, volunteer-led, promotion and publicity of the Town Center area in concert with the M-T Chamber of Commerce and the two communities.

· Continue to foster bipartisan community relationships as the Town Center develops to maximize the mutual interest of the two municipalities and consideration of design consistency.

The plan is to have at least bi-monthly meetings between the administrators of the two communities specifically set up to exchange information on developments in the Town Center area. This feedback will be provided to the Mequon Common Council and to the Thiensville Village Board. While the Town Center Committee has set the stage over a number of years, I'm confident this next step will assure a better communication between the two elected bodies.

As Mayor-elect Gielow said at the Town Center Committee meeting, "It's time to move to the selling stage". That will be the emphasis in Mequon as the new mayor and staff, along with the Economic Development Board, work with potential developers to demonstrate the advantages of projects in the Town Center area. The Village appears to be moving in the right direction with the new Fiddleheads under construction on Main Street and other property owners talking with developers about potential projects.

There will be one more meeting of the current M/T Town Center Committee to be held on Thursday May 20, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. This will be an opportunity to recognize the TCC accomplishments and to be sure any open issues are referred to the elected bodies of the two communities.

Stan Smith

Fiddleheads to Roast in Town Center

2010-02-17T14:17:00.001-08:00

It was a pleasure to attend last night's meeting of the Thiensville Plan Commission at Village Hall. The foresight of the village in earlier purchasing and clearing the property at 120 N. Main Street has paid off. Ray and Loreen Marcy have agreed to purchase the property and will construct a new building for roasting coffee as part of their expansion of their coffee houses. The proposed building is a perfect fit for the Town Center and has characteristics that match the historical perspective of the village. The building is a very attractive two story structure that will include a patio or porch in the front for outdoor seating.

The Plan Commission meeting was followed by a Village Board meeting where approvals were given for the sale of the land.

Many of us enjoy the camaraderie found at Fiddleheads' three current locations and many discussions, both business and personal, have been held on their patio or in their very comfortable indoor seating areas. The expertise and friendliness provided by Mike, Lynn, and Steve will now carry in to the visibility of the roasting operation which, along with their eventually offering bakery goods, should be a very attractive destination. We wish Ray and his family the very best as they expand their business well beyond our borders with their online sales.

I hope the plans will stay on schedule with a target of June for the building to be completed. That would be wonderful and it can set the stage for others to follow with new development or redevelopment in our Mequon/Thiensville Town Center.

Stan Smith, Chair
M/T Town Center Committee

Thoughts for the New Year

2010-01-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and a perfect time to review what has taken place in our Town Center during 2009. In Thiensville, the Main Street / Freistadt Road intersection was completed and the Pigeon Creek construction was finished with further landscaping scheduled for Spring. In Mequon, the Cedarburg Road construction was completed with a convertible road that can be closed and used for periodic celebrations. New sidewalks will be constructed and landscaping will be placed this year.

Our M/T Town Center Committee (TCC) is scheduled to meet the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. We don't necessarily meet every month but committee members try to hold these dates open for meetings. We have been rotating meetings between Mequon City Hall and the Village Hall in Thiensville. Agendas are published on the village and city web sites and the public is encouraged to attend. The Town Center Committee consists of five members from Thiensville, five from Mequon, and one from the M/T Chamber of Commerce.

There have been discussions about the possibility of a more appropriate name for the Mequon/Thiensville Town Center. While there is concern for making a change after a number of years of planning with the "Town Center" as the name, funds were provided by the City to contract with a consultant to explore the possibility of a different name as well as "branding" of the Town Center. The hiring of this consultant is now in progress and the status will be reported at our January 21st TCC meeting.

Emphasis continues on publicizing the advantages of shopping locally. While the TCC works to bring new business to the Town Center, we are continually looking at ways to support our current business community.

It was nice to see the very informative Guest Viewpoint written by our M/T Chamber Executive Director Tina Schwantes in the 12/31/09 issue of the News Graphic. Tina did an excellent job of summarizing accomplishments. The key role played by the Chamber in our Town Center initiatives is recognized and appreciated.

I'm looking forward to this new year and seeing the next steps in the Town Center development.

Stan Smith, Chair
M/T Town Center Committee

Some Town Center Reflections

2009-11-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

I just took a swing through the Thiensville part of the M/T Town Center and it was great to see all of the completed construction and no orange barrels. I went to Walgreens, the Bank and the Post Office. The intersection of Main Street and Freistadt is very attractive and the new stop lights look great. The temporary mailbox at Walgreens is gone and things appear to be back to normal only much more attractive.

Last week's weather was pretty lousy and it's disappointing to hear the Mequon road construction on Cedarburg Road is a little behind schedule as a result. It will now be "mid November" before the road construction is completed. However, the multiple color concrete panels in the "convertible road" in front of City Hall are looking very attractive. I look forward to the time when a visit to the Library, City Hall and Logemann Center will be just as easy as the trip through Thiensville was this morning. That should be soon.

The Thursday night "Lady's Night Out" in Thiensville looks like it will be even more popular this year with a great ad section in the last News Graphic.

Things are coming together in the Town Center. I realize there is some talk of a different name for the Town Center but that's what we've been calling it for a number of years and I'll stick with that for now.

Stan Smith, Chair
M/T Town Center Committee

Thiensville - Main Street Sign

2009-10-16T12:29:00.001-07:00

Back on August 19th, I wrote a blog feeling quite good about the "Thiensville - Main Street" signs that had been placed on Mequon Road pointing north. I even posted a picture of one of the signs. It was quite a surprise this week to find that the signs had been removed at the direction of the Department of Transportation. Apparently the sign approvals were not received from the appropriate DOT officials.

For years, it has been a challenge for people to find Main Street in Thiensville when they are approaching on Mequon Road. The through street is called Cedarburg Road in Mequon and changes to Main Street when it gets in to Thiensville. Maybe this removal of the signs has actually helped get publicity out about the Main Street location. It was good to see a front page story in yesterday's News Graphic entitled "Finding Main Street just got tougher". If people read the article, maybe it just got easier.

It was good to hear that the DOT will arrange for replacement of the signs and I guess they will be the approved color, shape, size and height. We'll hope the new signs still refer to Main Street and don't just have an arrow pointing to Thiensville.

In the meantime, it's great to see that the Freistadt Road / Main Street intersection is complete and the new stop lights look great. Construction of Cedarburg Road is on schedule and should be open to through traffic on November 6th. It will be spring before landscaping will be done but I think we will all be impressed with this new section of street in the Mequon Campus part of the Town Center.

Stan Smith
Chair, M/T Town Center Committee

Construction Updates

2009-09-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

While it's great to see things moving along with the construction in the Mequon portion of the Town Center, we fully recognize the inconveniences there will be during upcoming weeks. Please check the construction status on the City of Mequon web site (www.ci.mequon.wi.us). I am told that these status reports will be updated on a weekly basis.

While the detour is required for thru traffic, local traffic to local businesses is maintained. This includes access to the Weyenberg Library and to Mequon City Hall. A plan was considered where two lanes of traffic could be maintained at all times but it proved to be considerably more costly and would have taken more weeks of construction.

I've taken the detour on several occasions and find it doesn't take much longer but is obviously an inconvenience. However, it will have been worth it when we complete this portion of the Town Center. We are especially concerned about people continuing to shop at local businesses. Below is a picture of the sign on the detour route making it clear that the detour will get people to Main Street in Thiensville. It is a priority of our Town Center Committee to stress the advantages of shopping locally especially during this period of road construction.

During October, there will be 20 days when Cedarburg Road will be closed but otherwise it is open for traffic to local businesses. However, I find taking the detour is much easier for thru traffic and access to the Library from the north of the construction and City Hall from the south is the way to go.

Final completion is expected by October 31st.

Stan Smith
Chair, M/T Town Center Committee

Five Questions

2009-09-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Gary Achterberg at the News Graphic put together a very informative Five Questions feature about the Town Center. In it he directed questions to me as chair of the M/T Town Center Committee. I thought it would be of interest to those checking our Town Center Blog.

Stan Smith

1. How did you get involved with the Town Center project? Were you involved with similar efforts that preceded this project?

I was appointed by Mayor Christine Nuernberg to serve on a Mequon Blue Ribbon Visioning Committee in 1999. A city wide survey was initiated by that group and 74% of Mequon residents said they wanted to explore cooperating with Thiensville to redevelop downtown Thiensville into a city center for both communities. That led to a joint committee with Thiensville and I served with that group. This progressed to a Mequon/Thiensville Town Center Committee that was established in 2003 and I have served on that committee since that time. I became chairman in November 2007.

2. How do you see the face of Mequon changing due to the Town Center project? The Cedarburg Road reconstruction is going to start soon. What else are residents likely to see in the near future?

Our vision is that when people arrive at the intersection of Mequon and Cedarburg Roads, they will know they have arrived at the southern entrance to the Town Center. There will be a Gateway feature on the northeast corner of that intersection. When they turn north, they will notice a big difference in front of City Hall and the Library. Cedarburg Road will be realigned to the west; there will be colored pavement and new crosswalks and landscaped medians. This will be considered a "convertible road" which means it can be closed for a public event or festival. There are plans for a well marked by-pass on an occasion where this might take place.

There will be a number of enhancements to the park area across from City Hall where two city-owned homes were recently removed. The Mequon Common Council is now working with a consultant considering modifications to the "north park" to extend the Rotary Riverwalk and possibly modify the Settler's Park parking lot to provide a better view of the river. In the "south park", the Council is looking at using the existing slope as naturalized, terraced seating with an area for small performances next to the river. A Gateway feature remains a priority but a design has yet to be selected.

The Town Center extends north on Main Street to the north end of Thiensville and includes Green Bay Road north to Freistadt and east on Elm Street to Thiensville Park. Residents in both communities will appreciate the improvements in Thiensville that involve the completion of the Freistadt Road/Main Street intersection and the extensive improvements to Pigeon Creek.

Coming from the west on Mequon Road, the Arrival Corridor will start at Wauwatosa Road and Buntrock Avenue will be the west end of the Town Center. There may be parking on the south side of the road. These are decisions still before the Mequon Common Council. Several plans are being considered but all will involve a bike lane on Mequon Road.

3. What will this mean for the economic development of Mequon and Thiensville?

Early on in our discussions, it was made clear to us that residents come first and business will follow. That is why a priority has been to attract condos or apartments to lend vitality to the area and create a pedestrian friendly environment. Studies have shown that this will bring the shops, restaurants, and other business that we desire. In Mequon, a very large part of the tax base is residential and new business is needed to let us continue with relatively low taxes.

Two Economic Development Specialists have been hired by the communities and have been working since last November to identify properties for new construction or re-development. They are working on a number of potential developments, some involving multiple property owners. In addition to design guidelines, Town Center zoning was established. Several new projects have been approved although we are currently in a challenging economic environment.

4. The Town Center project involves both the city of Mequon and village of Thiensville. The interests of the two communities aren't necessarily the same. Has this been a challenge?

Each community wants to maintain its own identity and this has been recognized in all of our discussions and planning. However, I have found the elected officials and staffs in both communities to be highly supportive of our joint effort. Communication is the key and that has been a high priority for our Town Center Committee. While it has sometimes been a challenge, I think both communities understand the considerable commitment being made by the other. Also, consistent design guidelines have been adopted and this has made it easier to work with potential developers.

5. There already has been a lot of road construction this summer and there are going to be many more projects to come. I know some existing businesses have voiced a concern about staying viable. Is this a concern?

Yes, this has been a concern. While we strive to attract new business to the Town Center, a top priority of our committee has been to support local business, accept input from them, and keep them informed. Several local business people serve on our committee. It has been good to see how special arrangements have been made during the current construction. One example is the temporary Post Office box at Walgreens. Also, we have addressed the ongoing confusion for Thiensville businesses where our main corridor is called Cedarburg Road in Mequon and Main Street in Thiensville. As a result of our Town Center Committee discussions, new signage is now on Mequon Road pointing to Main Street in Thiensville. We also continue to coordinate efforts with the Thiensville Business Association. I'm confident the end result of our efforts will be a more viable business community and we ask for patience during construction.

Main Street Directional Sign

2009-08-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

One of our Town Center objectives has been to have a sign on Mequon Road to provide direction to Main Street in Thiensville. This has always been confusing as it is Cedarburg Road in Mequon and Main Street in Thiensville.

Thanks to Thiensville Village Administrator Dianne Robertson, the erection of this sign has been completed and here's a picture showing the signage as you approach the intersection from the east on Mequon Road. There is a similar sign as you approach form the west. Dianne coordinated this with the Mequon Public Works Department and the Village had the sign ordered and installed

I was pleasantly surprised when I drove by the sign and realized it was finally up and wanted to share this. Thanks go to those that continued to push for this sign and to those that made it happen.

- Stan Smith
Chair of the Mequon/Thiensville Town Center Committee

Weyenberg Library Chalk Art Event

2009-07-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

It was a real pleasure to see all of the activity on Friday at the Chalk Art event at the Library. While this was co-sponsored by the Weyenberg Library and our M/T Town Center Committee, all of the work was done by the Weyenberg Library staff and volunteers. I understand 123 squares of art were assigned and I tried my hand in an amateurish way to mark out the Town Center logo on my assigned square.

This type of event was new to me and I was surprised at the range of those participating. Many kids were involved with considerable talent and just plain fun. There was even a "professional" sidewalk artist with a large layout right in front of the main library entrance. Many community groups participated and local celebs were good sports and did their part.

This type of activity is what our Town Center is all about and hopefully this event will be repeated in the future. Congratulations to Linda Bendix and her staff for a very special event and for showing us the type of activity that can bring excitement to our Town Center.

- Stan Smith
Chair of the Mequon/Thiensville Town Center Committee

Comments from the Mayor

2009-07-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

I asked Mayor Christine Nuernberg to submit some comments on her perspective of recent actions of the Mequon Common Council involving the progress of Town Center initiatives. I appreciate her providing these comments and they follow.

Stan Smith

Comments from Mayor Nuernberg

At its July 14, 2009 regular meeting, the Mequon Common Council approved borrowing almost $7 million to fund infrastructure improvements in the Town Center area. The interest rate for this borrowing will effectively be 3.76 percent.

The improvements scheduled this fall include reconstructing Cedarburg Road between Mequon Road and Division Street (Mequon's boundary with Thiensville) and constructing a water main in Mequon Road. The road's design will accommodate outdoor events such as a festival or concert that would be staged from time to time. Between Cedarburg Road and the Milwaukee River, where the city owns several acres, the city will make improvements to provide an attractive destination.

Next year's infrastructure improvements most likely will include adding street parking on the south side of Mequon Road. This would benefit the businesses in the area and is part of a strategy to spur economic development.

The Town Center project has several goals. First it should be seen as an economic redevelopment effort to increase the property values of the area--values that have been somewhat stagnant. Increasing commercial property values will help shoulder more of the tax burden and help in keeping residential property taxes low. Another goal is to create a gathering area for the community.

Christine Nuerenberg
Mayor, City of Mequon

Economic Development Specialists

2009-07-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

As part of the M/T Town Center initiative, two firms have been engaged by the City of Mequon and the Village of Thiensville to assist in identifying and stimulating projects. This is an opportunity for property owners to explore potential projects and for developers to be exposed to locations where development is encouraged as part of Town Center planning.

Contact information for the Economic Development Specialists is as follows:

Carl Templer
Templer Communications & Consulting, Inc.
7352 N. Mohawk Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53217
414-975-3484
ctempler@wi.rr.com

Paul W. Ehrfurth
Paul W. Ehrfurth & Associates, LLC
805 McCastlen St.
Green Bay, WI 54301
920-339-8821
Ehrfurth@sbcglobal.net

Carl and Paul have now spent a number of months interviewing and visiting with developers as well as property owners in the Town Center area. They were also involved in the Open House conducted on May 21st where Town Center activities and plans were shared with the public. This event was held at the Weyenberg Library and well over 100 people were in attendance during the three hours the exhibits were open.

If anyone is interested in pursuing potential projects for the Town Center, they are encouraged to contact Carl or Paul. If a property owner is interested in discussing the potential for their property and how it could fit in to Town Center planning, this would also be an opportunity for that discussion.

Stan Smith
Chair - M/T Town Center Committee
Stansmi@msn.com
262-242-8065

A Little History

2009-05-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Town Center Blog

The Mequon / Thiensville Town Center Committee very much appreciates the Weyenberg Library setting up this blog which will let us share comments and update the community on activities in the Town Center.

M/T Town Center Background

A little history is in order. After a couple of tries during previous years, Thiensville started again planning for business district revitalization in 1999. This included the Next Step Committee.

At the same time, a city-wide Visioning Survey in Mequon showed strong support for Mequon exploring cooperation with Thiensville to make Thiensville the city center for both communities. In that survey over 74% of Mequon residents said they were in favor of Mequon working with Thiensville to establish a Town Center for the two communities.

This lead to the formation of a joint committee representing the two communities and the formation in August of 2003 of a Town Center Committee with 5 representatives from each community plus a representative from the M/T Chamber of Commerce.

This initiative was strongly reinforced in a 2005 Mequon city-wide survey with citizens showing a high interest in new restaurants, retail shops and services in a Town Center.

Since the start of these Town Center discussions, thousands of hours have been spent by volunteers, elected officials and city staff with much input from our citizens and businesses.

- Stan Smith
Chair of the Mequon/Thiensville Town Center Committee