New Panda Express Proposed for Waukesha - But Not at Gasthaus Site

WAUKESHA -- A new Panda Express restaurant is being proposed for Waukesha, but this time it's not on the Gasthaus site.

CFT NV Developments, the same group that is considering filing a claim against Waukesha for $3 million in damages related to the Gasthaus site, is the firm behind this new development.

According to a report from the Waukesha Freeman, the proposal, which will go before the Plan Commission at its Wednesday meeting for preliminary approval, seeks to construct a 2,572-square-foot Panda Express at Sunset Drive and Tenny Avenue, near the Meijer store.

Developer Considering Lawsuit

The Waukesha City Council unanimously voted in October to disallow the $3 million damage claim filed by TFT NV Developments.

The damage claim, came after the Waukesha Plan Commission denied a developer's plans to redevelop the former Weissgerber's Gasthaus site into a strip mall and a Panda Express restaurant in July.

The developer now has six months to decide whether to formally sue the city.

About two weeks after iconic Waukesha-area restaurant Weissgerber's Gasthaus closed its doors this summer, plans to raze the building and build a strip mall in its place were denied approval by the Waukesha Plan Commission .

HC Klover Architects reportedly worked with city officials over the previous few months to make adjustments to the site plan after officials voiced their objections, including:

• two drive-thrus
• traffic density
• impact to local business
• parking spaces

In the end, the council cited ongoing traffic concerns at the corner of Silvernail Road and Grandview Blvd. as one of the main reasons to nix the project.

---------

image: city of waukesha