March 2, 2019 – West Bend, WI – ALDI in West Bend, 1114 S. Main Street, is going to expand. On Tuesday, March 5 the West Bend Plan Commission will consider several requests including a public hearing to rezone a portion of S. Main Street. The lot in question is about 1.56 acres. The property sits to the northwest of the current ALDI grocery.
According to records at City Hall “the purpose of the rezoning request is to clean up a legacy zoning district from previous uses and to accommodate the sale of the western portion of the parcel for the expansion of ALDI.”
The rezoning would remain consistent with the recommended land use of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan for the City of West Bend. The purpose is to reconfigure three lots into two. ALDI Corporation, which has 2.5 acres, is proposing a building addition to the west and is acquiring 2.47 acres of land from the adjacent owner (King Pin) for that expansion.
The site plan is for a 2,440 square-foot commercial building addition located on the west side of the building with minor architectural building alterations proposed to the remaining building.
The 1.8 acre lot is zoned B-1, Community Business District. The owner is acquiring additional lands to the west and north for the expansion.
As a part of the site plan, the two existing storage buildings and the existing pavement within this area will be demolished to accommodate the expansion of the building.
The parking lot will be not be altered.
The area to be acquired from King Pin contains pavement and parking area that was originally used for the bowling alley use. The pavement will be removed and curbing will be installed. As a park of the site plan, the parking lot striping will be redone on the King Pin site to redefine the drive aisle and parking stalls in the area that is being altered by the land acquisition.
The existing retaining wall will be modified to accommodate the new building addition.
The building materials for the building addition will match and be consistent with the existing “St. Simon Blend” brick veneer. The existing building will receive the following upgrades:
o A tan accent band color changing to a slate gray color, at the entrance area above the windows.
o The building materials will change from an aluminum composite panel to a “Cedar (vintage wood)” looking fiber cement board.
o The “Food Market” signage on the east and north sides of the building will be removed and new “Aldi” signs will be replaced.
In 2017 ALDI announced a nationwide “plan to remodel and expand more than 1,300 U.S. stores by 2020.” Early plans indicate ALDI will spend “more than $37 million dedicated to enhancing stores in the Milwaukee-area.”
Early plans indicate the expansion will occur in July and then the store is expected to close temporarily in September, around Labor Day, as the addition is completed.
The West Bend Plan Commission meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6 in the council chambers at West Bend City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.