The Avenue (Milwaukee)
Total retail floor area 367,968 sq ft (34,185.3 m2) [1] | | |
No. of floors | 3 | |
---|---|---|
Public transit access | Milwaukee County Transit System | |
Website | avenuemke |
The Avenue (previously known as The Grand Avenue, The Shops of Grand Avenue and Shops of Grand Avenue) is an urban shopping plaza currently under renovation that spans three city blocks in the downtown
The Avenue has been the only major indoor shopping facility in the city of
History
This section needs to be updated.(July 2020) |
Grand Avenue opened in 1982 and hosted over 80 specialty stores, along with what was at one time the largest food court in Wisconsin.[3]
The shopping center was named after a bustling merchant street during the 19th century, Grand Avenue (the portion of the present day Wisconsin Avenue west of the
Grand Avenue was opened during a time when many downtown retail centers in major cities were shutting down. It sought to avoid these problems by relying on locally owned shops that cater to the "urban" tastes of the nearby populace, in addition to the national chain-stores it houses such as the anchor
At one time, the mall also featured
TJ Maxx and Linens 'n Things were added in 2002.[4]
In 2005, New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp purchased The Shops of Grand Avenue for $31.7 million.[5] Due to the economic downfall and its impact on the Milwaukee metropolitan area, by 2009 the mall had lost many key tenants. In 2012 the mall was foreclosed upon and was put up for auction in October 2013.[6] New York based real estate firm Alliance Capital Invest won with a final bid of $16.5 million. After struggling to improve performance, the mall was sold to a local ownership group for $24.6 million in December 2015.[5]
On December 6, 2018, new plans for the existing space were announced as well as the space's new name, The Avenue. The former third floor food court will become office space for GRAEF-USA Incorporated. A new food hall will open on the ground floor named 3rd Street Market Hall, late in 2019. In addition, the 52 unit Plankinton Clover Apartments will replace some of the former retail space.[7]
See also
Gallery
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The rotunda of the Plankinton Arcade
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Exterior of the Plankinton Arcade
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Outside of the Shops of Grand Avenue on Wisconsin Avenue
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Interior of the 3rd Street Market Hall
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Exterior of the 3rd Street Market Hall
References
- ^ "The Shops of Grand Avenue - Milwaukee, WI Mall and Shopping Center". www.mallsandoutlets.com.
- ^ "Capitol Court, 1951-2000". Milwaukee County Historical Society. 22 February 2011.
- ^ The Shops of Grand Avenue, Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau, Retrieved May 27, 2008.
- ^ "Mall lands 2 big retail chains". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
- ^ a b "Shops of Grand Avenue sold for $24.6 million". www.jsonline.com.
- ^ "New owners ponder new uses for Shops of Grand Avenue". BizTimes Media Milwaukee. 8 December 2014.
- ^ "Plans unveiled for Grand Avenue transformation". BizTimes Media Milwaukee. 6 December 2018.