Plans for Downtown Kenosha grocery store moved to Alford building (2024)

Plans to bring a grocery store to Downtown Kenosha now target the former Alford building, 702 58th St., with the City Council approving an option to purchase with Public Food Markets, Inc.

Public Food Markets, the group behind the Kenosha Public Market, had originally announced plans to build a brand-new multi-story building on an empty lot on 58th Street at Sixth Avenue last year.

Plans were to include rentable kitchens for local vendors and businesses, cold and dry storage and an event space. But Public Food Markets President Mike McTernan said their plans became too big for the originally proposed location.

“We like the ideas and the plans, but our concerns have been running out of room before we even open the door,” McTernan said. “Our financing is in order; we’ve just been struggling with putting the project down on too small a parcel.”

McTernan said the city approached them with the idea of revitalizing the Alford building, which would offer more space. After some preliminary estimates and analysis on what the costs would be to restore the building, McTernan said they wanted to get some security from the city before investing more money into analyzing the site and moving ahead with the project.

The City Council on April 15 set the purchase price at $285,000, which will be forgiven if $1 million in structural improvements is spent within 12 months of the actual purchase.

Extensive work is necessary to restore and update the building, which has been vacant for many years. Roof improvements, fire suppression installations and other infrastructure will be needed, McTernan said.

City documents indicated improvements could cost upwards of $4 million, which McTernan said matched their estimates.

Public Food Markets plans to start with the west half of the building, utilizing roughly 20,000 square feet in the first phase.

While the restoration work has a big price tag, McTernan said it’s also “expensive to put a building up,” and moving into an already existing site has its benefits, in exchange for “the difficulties with an older building.”

There were historical and cultural benefits to moving into the building as well, he said.

“It saves an architectural gem in Kenosha, which is important,” McTernan said.

McTernan said they feel “comfortable and confident” and hope to move quickly. With new residential options already Downtown and more planned to come, getting a grocery store was important, he said.

The market would “provide a lot of what Kenosha is lacking,” he said, as well as providing educational opportunities and other benefits to the community.

“Our whole mantra is how to eat healthier and live healthier,” McTernan said. “Better living through better eating.”

McTernan thanked the city for its help bringing the project to life.

“We’re excited the city has always worked with us, given the support to help this nonprofit,” McTernan said. “They’ve supported the idea that we need better opportunities for fresh food and learn and eat better.”

Kenosha Public Market and grocery store would continue to run in tandem, they stated earlier.

District 2 Ald. Bill Siel voiced his support both for bringing a grocery store Downtown and moving the project into the Alford building.

“I’m totally in favor of the lights going on in the Alford building,” Siel said. “This is a building they can grow into. It’s in the Downtown, it could give them a spot year-round for the market if they wanted to.”

With the parking ramp nearby, the building is in a good location, he said. Like McTernan, Siel highlighted the growing number of residential units coming to Downtown.

“It offers a good opportunity for making Kenosha a good city to live in, especially the Downtown district,” Siel said.