Milwaukee's new Chinatown! (Brown Deer: condo, live, price)

[prairiestate]

Now this is interesting:

Chinese business hub possible - JSOnline

The Newest Rust Belt Investor…China? | Rust Wire

Coming to Milwaukee: A Chinese mega-mall? - CNN.com

[Milwaukee City]

I know I am excited! however I just hope it works. I thought making a Asian Market on S.35th & National would have been better but this sounds like a good idea if it works. Milwaukee could use a "Chinatown" or a "Little Asia" but this is a start. Now if we only had Yi still on the Bucks.

[EastSideMKE]

I don't see a problem with it. After all, everything at Mayfair and Bayshore is made in China anyways. I know I'll check it out when it opens in August.

[Empidonax]

If it opens, I'll go and take a peek, but it would have to be pretty special to get my attention. And even then, it's not like I need more stuff in my life, so I doubt I'll open my wallet too wide.

A couple of months ago I read that a Chinese developer wants to build an Asian supermarket near Northridge, around 76th and Mill. I would be more likely to embrace that, but I wonder who the customers will be. It's not like Milwaukee (and the North Side) has lots of Asian residents.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by quijote

A couple of months ago I read that a Chinese developer wants to build an Asian supermarket near Northridge, around 76th and Mill. I would be more likely to embrace that, but I wonder who the customers will be. It's not like Milwaukee (and the North Side) has lots of Asian residents.

Isn't that what we are talking about?

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Isn't that what we are talking about?

I don't think so... This article talks about a large Asian market (sounds primarily like a market with stalls, groceries, food court, etc.) at 6300 N. 76th, which is at the southeast corner of 76th and Mill Rd. (several blocks south of Brown Deer Rd., which is where Northridge is located):

Large Asian market planned on northwest side - BizTimes (http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/2009/10/14/large-asian-market-planned-on-northwest-side - broken link)

The developer has a Southeast Asian surname, so I imagine this mall/market (if approved) will be pan-Asian (though it sounds like a Hmong market in the Mpls area serves as a business model).

The other mall mentioned above in this thread sounds like an exclusively Chinese development, and it sounds like the focus is imported goods (household, electronics, etc.). If a grocery and food court are part of it, I can't tell from the description given.

So, it sounds like two separate things.... But it's kind of odd that two giant Asian developments, just blocks from each other, would be in the works all of a sudden. Hmm.

[43north87west]

I think that the idea itself is excellent. In my experience, a lot of American consumers have a poor opinion of Chinese products, because the exposure has been flea market garbage. There are some good products made in China, but they are sold here under American brand names. Is this idea going to be high quality, low cost products, minus American brand premiums? Or is it going to be 7 Mile Fair with a paved parking lot and escalators? There is a big difference.

Furthermore, the location is a problem. It's totally inconvenient, so there needs to be a major attraction. The surrounding demographics are--let's say--a challenge. So there are some hurdles to overcome.

I do think that it's a very good idea to open American consumers' eyes to Chinese products. It's great to draw Chinese-American people from surrounding cities, but I don't think that will be enough to float a massive mall in the middle of a geographically (and demographically) challenged area. Unless the retailers offer something unique, why not go to Walmart for $9 "pleather" shoes? If there is a unique offering of price and quality, it's more likely that people will take a trip to an inconvenient area to check out what's available. Even higher priced products would probably sell, if they were a good value.

Having said all of that, I'm fairly well acquainted with one of the people involved in the project from another business, and that alone tells me the project will gain enough momentum to get off the ground.

[riverwest.sol]

I think it says a lot about Milwaukee's so-called leaders in the business community when a set of brothers from Russia started the condo boom that so many local business people passed on... all because Milwaukeeans supposedly didn't want to spend our money that way. Now some people from China are sinking millions into a mall that local investors declined to do anything to for over a decade. And that's not even including the killings people from Chicago and other cities have made over the years doing things in our city that the locals passed on.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Milwaukee's business community has no clue that the rest of the city isn't as conservative, short-sighted and mentally stagnant as they are...

[Jesse276]

Originally Posted by riverwest.sol

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Milwaukee's business community has no clue that the rest of the city isn't as conservative, short-sighted and mentally stagnant as they are...

Well said, whenever a new 'trend' is brought to this city, it's usually an outside business person pushing it. It seems that most area businesspersons just can't seem to think outside the box, we need to develop a better entreprenureal spirit in the Milwaukee metro.

[Ron Burgundy]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Furthermore, the location is a problem. It's totally inconvenient, so there needs to be a major attraction. The surrounding demographics are--let's say--a challenge. So there are some hurdles to overcome.

This is something I honestly don't understand. There are thousands of people that live within freeway boundaries that are potential customers. But even then, how is the 10-minute stretch off the freeway that other people would encounter that much of a hassle? Are we that lazy that the mere threat of a traffic light or six will deter us that much? Location hasn't stopped me from frequenting Mayfair or Southridge any more than it has for the much closer (for me) Bayshore Mall. I agree that for sustained success it has to be somewhat of an attraction though.

As for the surrounding demographics, I think the challenge is more an issue of overcoming perception than reality. Maybe a mall will bring more of the bad element back with the loitering potential, but as it is now being fearful of my family's safety when I'm in that area is a complete non-issue.

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Having said all of that, I'm fairly well acquainted with one of the people involved in the project from another business, and that alone tells me the project will gain enough momentum to get off the ground.

Any idea when they plan on starting this? They got about 6 months before the tentative re-opening and best I can tell from the outside is not a thing has been done. It seems like they're going to be opening it in waves, but you'd think they'd want to get a move on with the sheer scale of the project. Are there still permit hurdles to overcome or are they ready to start whenever?