Village Trustee Michael Phinney said today that Blair Williams, the developer of the soon to be built condos on the 4500 block of Oakland Avenue has his eye on several surrounding buildings for possible conversion to parking lots or additional condominium developments. Condominium development on the 4400 and 4500 blocks of Oakland have been controversial, with critics of the projects questioning the aesthetic appeal of the buildings, as well as their overall fit with the surrounding neighborhoods.
According to Trustee Phinney, the following properties are on the list of possible acquisition targets.
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The mobile station on the corner of Oakland and Kensington. As several residents have pointed out, this station rarely has gasoline available, and is frequently not open for business. According to the Village Clerk, their mail is also being returned to sender, including the recent Village assessment for the State of Wisconsin weights and measures update.
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The China Palace Restaurant building, which also includes the North Star Bistro and the Russian grocery store. According to Trustee Phinney, the owners of China Palace own the entire building, and are asking what he called an "outrageous amount of money" for the building. "But the building is for sale," said Phinney, "and Blair [Williams] has been talking to them for months before they officially put it on the market."
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An unidentified building directly across the street, which is actually located in Whitefish Bay.
