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Businessman, investor, author and philanthropist Samuel Truett Cathy once said, approximately, that the best opportunities sometimes come from the worst circumstances. That just may end up being the case at the Westwood Mall.
The longtime Marquette Township shopping center has faced its share of challenges in recent years, as malls everywhere have. Certainly the collapse of a section of mall's roof under heavy snow last February was another major blow.
But the property now has a chance to begin a new chapter, one that could benefit far more than the mall itself. A Green Bay developer is considering purchasing the mall and redeveloping the damaged portion of the property into retail outlet of some sort. Township officials haven't said what -- yet.
But here's what might end up being the best part of the overall development plan. The proposal could ultimately include six or seven apartment buildings containing between 180 and 210 one- and two-bedroom units on land adjacent to the mall. The people that pay very close attention to that topic will tell you that is exactly the kind of development the greater Marquette area needs.
For years, employers, community leaders and housing advocates have pointed to the shortage of available housing as an obstacle to attracting and retaining workers. A growing economy cannot function at full strength if teachers, students, health care workers, tradespersons, service employees and other working residents cannot find a place to live.
Adding 180 to 210 apartments won’t solve the region’s housing shortage by itself, not by a long shot. But it would be a significant step in the right direction.
Just as important, the proposal makes use of a property that already has roads, utilities, parking and surrounding commercial development. Rather than pushing new housing farther into undeveloped areas, the project would put residents in an established part of the community.
Marquette Township planner and zoning administrator Jason McCarthy described the tract in recent Mining Journal reporting as one of the township’s most important pieces of property and said the redevelopment provides an opportunity to rethink access, traffic circulation, parking, landscaping and connections for pedestrians and bicyclists. We agree and applaud the stewardship of McCarthy and township manager Jon Kangas in getting the proposal as far as they have.
Keep in mind the proposal is still in the planning stages. Details will matter, including rents, design, traffic, pedestrian access, infrastructure and how the development fits into the surrounding community. Those questions should be addressed openly as the project moves forward. But the larger goal should not be lost in the details.
Although the Westwood Mall has posed challenges for Marquette Township, it doesn’t have to remain that way. And now there is good reason to believe it won't.