Pabst Farms has signed an agreement with Developers Diversified Realty of Beachwood, Ohio, for the planned shopping center at I-94 and Highway 67 in Oconomowoc, Pabst spokesman Thad Nation said Monday.Okay, now let's see the plan. What kind of stores and what kind of mall? Will it be the same kind of residential development or something smaller in scale? What kind of government subsidies is this thing going to continue to draw? What kind of track record does Developers Diversified Realty have?
I'll ask the Jim Rowen question, how much water is this thing going to suck up?
Let me say something completely radical in development-crazy Waukesha County: We don't have to have Pabst Farms. Unless this thing is really a unique asset to Waukesha County and doesn't directly compete with the revitalization of Waukesha's downtown and the downtowns of other communities, we can leave the whole thing a giant empty field.
Heck, plant a few trees or build a wind farm. Put up some cell towers. Drill for oil. Strip mine it.
But let's take advantage of this pause to really put this shopping mall under the microscope. If it's a Wal-Mart, a Best Buy and a Odd Lot Outlet, who needs it?
