Northridge to host retailers from China

[postulater]

"A Milwaukee investment firm that led the development of the new Aloft Hotel in downtown Milwaukee is partnering with Chinese investors on converting the dormant Northridge mall in Milwaukee into a regional shopping center featuring merchandise from Chinese retailers.

The center would feature 200 Chinese retailers who would hire Milwaukee-area residents totaling 300 to 500, Kraft said. Products to be sold in the mall include bags, clothing and furniture as well as a few famous Chinese brands, according to an article posted on China Daily.

The working name for the mall is China Mall of North America but that has not been finalized, Kraft said. The mall will be remodeled on its exterior and interior and include new landscaping.

The mall will be designed to attract shoppers from not only southeast Wisconsin but also Madison, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Kraft said.

“It’s going to be great for the community,” Kraft said. “It’ll be a destination for sure.”

Northridge, which was opened by the Kohl family in the early 1970s, closed in 2003 after a decade of declining sales. The mall is at North 76th Street and West Brown Deer Road."


http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/12/28/daily30.html?ana=tt3245

[PeaceNikki]

1. That area DESPERATELY needs jobs.

So I am a fan of them doing something with the land/building that will facilitate job creation.

[postulater]

3. It might be a nice spark of life in the area.

And the bus line goes right by there so it will be easy to get to without a car.

[PeaceNikki]

4. It's true.

People who aren't familiar with the area don't understand what a cultural and financial boom it could mean for an area that really needs it.

[virgogal]

6. Crappy Walmart type jobs.

[PeaceNikki]

7. It's not a yuppie white collar financial district, ya know?

The mall closed in 2003 and with it, a lot of jobs were lost. "Crappy" jobs or not, people depended on them.

[postulater]

8. It would surely be ideal if it was some productive green job

but right now 50% of the inner city men in Milwaukee are unemployed.

I bet there are going to be long lines of people hoping for one of those jobs. WalMart -ish or not.

[msongs]

2. get your chinese made stuff directly from them instead of american owned companies. ok nt

[PeaceNikki]

5. Milwaukee has no "Chinatown" and this could result is a wonderful cultural

and financial revitalization for a neighborhood in desperate need.

[madrchsod]

9. so everyone in Wisconsin ,Minnesota, and Illinois can buy chinese stuff

that used to be made in those states! makes perfect sense to me. why would anyone travel to a mall that features the same stuff one can buy anywhere?

[jmowreader]

11. Think "PIer 1 Imports" on a grander scale

If you want to decorate your home in an Oriental theme, this is going to be your destination store.

[postulater]

14. Right.

Close the plants here. Ship the jobs to plants in China so they crap can be made cheaper. Then send it back so the unemployed people can buy it.

[HereSince1628]

10. Milwaukee, being the city it is, this will be an interesting place

to create an ethnic based shopping mall for an ethnic group that is pretty small in Wisconsin. An article in the paper suggested that the idea was to create a regional destination shopping place.

Makes an interesting idea because that mall failed because localWisconsin shoppers wouldn't go there. Maybe they can get the Illusians from the Chicago suburbs to travel 2 hours to shop there when folks from minutes away in the Milwaukee suburbs wouldn't.

[postulater]

13. It will be interesting to see how they market the mall.

If it just sells the same crap you get anywhere else it'll flop. Unless it is even cheaper than Walmart.
Then maybe.

[HereSince1628]

17. I'm more interested in how "Chinese retailers" will be recieved by

the neighborhood. What with Milwaukee being what Milwaukee is.

[postulater]

19. Yup.

'What with Milwaukee being what Milwaukee is'

Some people don't like Toyota's but they will shop at WalMart.

[cap]

12. the chinese are bypassing Walmart and other retailers and are selling to

the customer directly. They want a bigger share of the profits.

[Canuckistanian]

16. Eliminating the middleman

It's just business.

[moondust]

15. Message for U.S. outsourcing companies:

Abandon American workers by shipping their jobs offshore and they will find a way to abandon you.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

[tranche]

18. Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 2:57pm -- Outsourcing becomes self aware.

[postulater]

22. Captain's Log Stardate 41368.2

Reports of an alien lifeform are emanating from sector 0.0.76.

They appear to be using captured Federation technology to replicate goods once locally produced.

It appears Resistance is Futile.

[JVS]

20. I have to see this place when it's ready.

[xchrom]

21. The products won't be new -- walmart redux --

With some chinese etnic flavor thrown in.

But the clothing, whatever appliances, electrics --
will seem pretty familiar.

[Nikki Stone1]

23. Just don't buy the drywall.

:)