Muskego Reaches Out for Second Time to Kohl's

Muskego officials have confirmed that they have made a second contact to Kohl's Corporate to outline possibilities within the city for the retailer to build a new headquarters.

The Community Development Department made an initial contact to Kohl’s Corporate in spring of 2010 when it learned that the company felt that it had outgrown its corporate location in Menomonee Falls. 

In a release from the city, Jeff Muenkel, City of Muskego Community Development Director stated, “We have followed up again recently with both Kohl’s and local developers in light of the fact they have not made a final decision on a new location.”

To date, Muskego has not received a response, however the city felt that properties of the appropriate size and location are located along Moorland Road. Kohl's Corporate operates three separate facilities, which occupy about 360-plus acres, but has not been specific as to any requirements in a new site. They employ about 5,000 employees and some reports have suggested that they are seeking to provide facilities that will take them into the next 10 to 20 years and accommodate 2,000 more.

“We hope to have an opportunity to show Kohl’s our community but remain aware of their desire  to accommodate their employees that live in or near Menomonee Falls," stated Mayor Kathy Chiaverotti. 

Muskego could offer perhaps the best option with regard to TIF incentives among the other communities that have stated their interest.  State law caps the total portion of their tax base that is comprised of TIF district value to 12 percent.  Menomonee Falls' TIF districts account for 4.69 percent of the total tax base, and in Milwaukee, where Mayor Tom Barrett has publicly invited Kohl's to develop, that ratio is 3.55 percent.  Muskego's stands at only 1.81 percent, based on a 2010 Department of Revenue report. 

(Tax incremental financing - TIF - is a method to use future gains in taxes to finance current improvements. When a development or public project is carried out, there is often an increase in the value of surrounding property, and the additional or incremental tax revenues generated from that are used to provide funding for the district.)

While the possibility of getting a retailer as large as Kohl's would be a huge boon for the city, Chiaverotti also credited Muenkel for promoting the city to other businesses as well, noting that, “Jeff has been very proactive promoting Muskego to businesses and developers keeping our name in the forefront.”