Despite Walmart Construction, Business Will Remain Status Quo

If you’ve driven past Pilgrim Road and Main Street in Menomonee Falls you are well aware that construction on is underway.

Gatlin Development closed on several properties within the Pilgrim Village shopping center Nov. 21, and it didn’t take long for work trailers and backhoes to begin occupying the pothole-ridden parking lot to start work.

While it may look a bit chaotic with Pilgrim Road and Main Street narrowed to two lanes of traffic and piping piled in the lot, shop owners within the center are confident business will carry on as normal - or at least as close to normal as possible.

, and will all remain open for the duration of the project, and maintain the same business hours. 

“The general contractor has reassured us that it will be business as usual,” said Tom Mierendorf, a manager at Otto’s. “We’re hoping to make it through the holiday season and early spring, and get this project done.”

Mierendorf said there was some confusion for himself and customers when traffic was diverted for construction. However, Falls Engineering Director Tom Hoffman said workers are completing a simple water main diversion project and both roads should be open by the end of the day Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Though construction might cause some inconveniences, all three business will rise from the dust and digging looking better than ever. As part of the plan, all three businesses will receive substantial exterior improvements.

Schlotzsky’s owner Dan Gorman said he plans to offer a variety of promotions and deals to keep momentum going through the project’s duration, which has an expected completion date sometime in the summer of 2012.

“It remains to be seen how the construction will affect us, but we plan to stay on top of it from the marketing end to help stay busy through for the duration,” Gorman said.

An employee of Friends of Nature also said business hours will remain the same during construction, and they aren't expecting any disruptions.

In the next few weeks, the Pilgrim Village shopping center will look a little barren. Piggly Wiggly, the vacant gas station, and the theater could all be razed by year’s end.

Gatlin Development plans to build a 40,000-square-foot supermarket and pharmacy in the place of the former Piggly Wiggly and the now-vacant mall that included , and . All those businesses have since within Menomonee Falls and Germantown.

The plans buildings that will front Main Street. One of those three buildings is designed to be a “landmark” building that will be constructed in place of the deteriorating gas station. Plans for and approved by the village.

Although the tenants may have a few headaches to deal with as the project progresses, both Gorman and Mierendorf are filled with optimism about the future of the shopping center.

“We’re very, very excited about this project. This shopping center has been an eyesore for a long time,” Mierendorf said. “We’re anticipating nothing but positive results.”