website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown Square
NW corner, Church and
Bernard streets
1979-2009
Portion of image WHS_005_858
Aerial view of, 2007, prior to demolition in 2009.
c.1960
-- -- VALUE VILLAGE
03 03 KOHLS
FOOD STORE PLANNED
Kohls Food Stores today announced that it will
launch the largest expansion program in its history this year, including a new
food store in Watertown in connection with the west side shopping center, which
was announced in the Times some
months ago. Approximately 12 million
dollars will be invested in the various expansion products and 1,000 employees
will be added to the 2,500 now employed by the company, according to Max Kohl,
founder and president of Wisconsin’s largest independently owned food
stores. WDT
1979 CONSTRUCTION OF
Originally constructed in 1979, the Watertown Square Shopping Center was formerly anchored by a
Kohl's Department Store, a Kohl's Food Store and a Walgreens.
1999
04 07 KOHL'S CLOSES
A grocery store which has operated nearly 20 years
in Watertown has announced the doors will close in two weeks. Kohl's Food Store, located in the Watertown
Square shopping center along South Church Street, will close its doors
permanently at 6 p.m., April 24. The
closing is the result of a corporate initiative. The local store's 23 full- and part-time
employees were told Wednesday about the closing, although speculation had been
circulating prior to the formal announcement.
Those employees, some of whom have worked there since the store's
opening in 1980, have been offered jobs at other stores. WDT
2002
Most of the existing complex has been vacant since
April of 2002 when the Kohl's Department Store closed and a new location was
constructed just south of Interstate 94 on state Highway 26 in Johnson
Creek. The Kohl's Food Store has been
closed since March of 2001.
2006
10 27 HOLIDAY INN PROPOSED
The Watertown Square complex at the northwest corner of Church and Bernard streets may become a hotel and convention center as early as next year, according to Mark Adrian, a developer of local food and lodging businesses. Adrian met with Mayor John David on Wednesday regarding the plans for the property. Adrian told the Daily Times today that he has an accepted offer on the 10.7 acre parcel of property. The property is owned by E. J. Plesko & Associates of Madison. The hotel will have approximately 90 rooms and will also have a convention center of about 6,500 square feet. It will be branded as a full service Holiday Inn.
2007
05 26 COLONIAL TOWNE SQUARE PROPOSED
Two local businessmen have entered an agreement to purchase the Watertown Square Shopping Center and have plans to redevelop the site into a multilevel retail complex. Al Grunewald and Ed Wendland of Watertown Urban Partners LLC have agreed to acquire the 10.5-acre property on the corner of South Church and Bernard streets from E.J. Plesko & Associates of Madison for an undisclosed price. Grunewald and Wendland represent a group of local investors who are looking to transform the parcel, which will be named Colonial Towne Square, into an upscale center with a courtyard, spring house, brick walkways, waterfalls and historical lighting on a landscaped green area.
2008
08 17 This section derived in part from Watertown Daily Times:
The
Watertown Square site slipped dramatically some years ago when Kohl's Food
Stores closed and then a couple years later the Kohl's Department Store moved
to much larger quarters in the new retail development at the intersection of
state Highway 26 and Interstate 94 in Johnson Creek. Without that big retail attraction, some of
the smaller businesses immediately felt the loss of the traffic and some
closures followed.
At one
time Church Street was a quiet city street that dead-ended at Milwaukee
Street. There was just an open field
gradually rising to the railroad tracks.
Somewhere in the early 1960s a decision was made to make the extension
of Church Street the new location for state Highway 26 and major resculpting of
the hill got under way. That opened the land on the south side of the railroad
for development.
Originally
the Kohl's site was the home of a small department store chain called Value
Village. That lasted a few years and
then the building was razed and everything was started over for the Kohl's food
and department stores.
Since the
present buildings were constructed in the mid-1980s, there had been a host of retailers
that have operated in one of the buildings.
Among them: Adventureland Video,
The Barbers, Boy Blue, Burger King, Como Photo/Video, Groundwater, Joann
Fabrics, Kohl's Department Store, Kohl's Food Store, Mimi's Hallmark, Payless
Shoes, Professional Cleaners, The Pool Guy, Walgreens, Cost Cutters, Wales
Pets, Maxwell Street, Video Towne, Eye Care Optical, Video Town USA, Radio
Shack, World of Pets, Nutri-Systems, George Webb, Jefferson Tile Company,
Drive-In Movies, Play It Again Sports, Carlson Travel, Oasis Creations, Stein
Optical, Watertown Medical Center, On the Road Liquidators and Pay Day
USA. And, we've probably missed a few as
well.
12 31 Watertown Square Plans Outlined
The Watertown
Common Council Tuesday delayed taking action on a developer's agreement for the
former Watertown Square property because the documents were presented minutes
after the meeting started, but city officials gave an update on the proposed
development plans for the approximately 10.5-acre site on the corner of South
Church and Bernard streets.
Pick ‘n Save
on the east side of South Church Street will move to a new 60,000-square-foot building
at the Watertown Square parcel, which is owned by E J Plesko & Associates
in Madison. Plans also include a 500-square-foot building that will house a
Bank of Lake Mills.
The current
structures that were the former locations of Mimi's Hallmark and Walgreens will
remain on the property and be refurbished.
Completion
date and plans to be up and operating are in April of 2010.
Because the
Watertown Square parcel is located within a tax incremental financing district,
the city will provide E J Plesko & Associates with approximately $3 million
if the property reaches a construction value of $16 million. The property is
currently assessed at about $3.5 million.
Originally
constructed in 1979, the Watertown Square Shopping Center was formerly anchored
by a Kohl's Department Store, a Kohl's Food Store and a Walgreens.
Most of the
existing complex has been vacant since April of 2002 when the Kohl's Department
Store closed and a new location was constructed just south of Interstate 94 on
state Highway 26 in Johnson Creek. The Kohl's Food Store has been closed since
March of 2001. Watertown Daily Times, 12 31 2008
2009
03 20 PROPOSED
REDEVELOPMENT APPROVED
The Watertown Site Plan Review Committee unanimously
approved the proposed redevelopment plans for the former Watertown Square
property on the corner of South Church and Bernard streets. The proposed site plans call for Pick ‘n Save
to move from its current location east of South Church Street into a
60,000-square-foot building on the Watertown Square site. Project Director Joe Malucha of MSI General
Corp. said the grocery store will have a pharmacy with a drive-through
window. Plans also include a
10,500-square-foot facility on the southeast corner of the parcel that will
house a Bank of Lake Mills. WDT
04 28 PERMITS
APPROVED
Conditional use permits for the
Watertown Square shopping center on the corner of South Church and Bernard
streets were approved by the Watertown Plan Commission. The proposed site plans for the property call
for Pick 'n Save to move from its current location east of South Church Street
into a 60,000-square-foot building on the Watertown Square site that is owned
by E J Plesko & Associates in Madison.
Plans also include a 10,500-square-foot facility on the southeast corner
of the parcel that will house a Bank of Lake Mills. The Bank of Lake Mills will initially occupy approximately 6,000 square
feet of the building and one other tenant will rent out the remaining
space. The current 15,000-square-foot
structure that is the former location of Mimi's Hallmark and 10,600 square feet
of building space on the northern edge of the property will be restored and
used by multiple tenants. All of the
other buildings on the parcel will be razed.
WDT
Set of images prior
to demolition / Click upon to enlarge:
Cross
References:
History of Watertown, Wisconsin