The City of Milwaukee is working collaboratively with community partners to develop a vision for the redevelopment of this 13.8 acre property. We want to hear from the community what this site means to you, and your ideas for it's future. Read on to learn more about the site's history, current activities at the site, and the cleanup and redevelopment project that is getting underway.

The City was awarded an EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant to prepare the 3940 N. 35th Street for development. The EPA is also providing technical assistance for a market study of the property's reuse potential.

Project Goals:

• Investigate environmental contamination on the site and plan remediation activities
• Work with the community to envision a future for the property
• Prepare the site for redevelopment and issue a request for developer interest
• Welcome a new development to the site!

Originally wetlands and farmland, this site was first developed in 1909 as part of A.O. Smith’s 125-acre facility. On the site, six lagoons were used for disposal of industrial waste solution containing iron and sulfuric acid, also known as pickle liquor. By 1969, the onsite pickling operations had ended at the facility and the lagoons were eventually consolidated, filled in, and covered. In 1983, the last pond was remediated with a slurry wall and paved with concrete and asphalt as a cap. The site also historically contained six aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) including five propane ASTs and one 500,000-gallon fuel oil AST. The site was also used for storage of automobile frames and loading onto rail cars from the 1960s until the early 2000s.

Because of it's past industrial uses, this site is considered a "brownfield". The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines brownfields as "properties that contain or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant, complicating efforts to expand, redevelop or reuse them." While brownfields can be challenging to redevelop, they can also be seen as opportunities for development in areas already well-served by existing infrastructure and close to area workforce.

In 2019, this site was acquired by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM), in partnership with Business Improvement District (BID) 37 as part of a partnership agreement that the partners would cooperate to support the future redevelopment of the site for the betterment of the Century City Business Park and the surrounding businesses and neighborhoods. In 2023, RACM received an EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant to be used for site remediation, in support of future site redevelopment. Since this time, RACM and partners have been working to better understand site infrastructure and environmental conditions to prepare for site cleanup and redevelopment.

What do you remember about this site and the former A.O. Smith campus?

Please add your story above.

What are your ideas for the future of this site?

Please share your ideas above.

Stay tuned for more ways to engage.

Brownfield Resources

• WDNR Bureau for Remediation and Redevelopment Tracking System (BRRTS)
  • BRRTS Records for 3940 N 35th Street
• City of Milwaukee Brownfield Redevelopment Resources
• City of Milwaukee 30th Street Industrial Corridor and Century City Business Park Websites
• EPA Brownfields Program
• WDNR Brownfields

Current Projects in the Area

• MMSD West Basin Stormwater Project
• MMSD Roosevelt Drive Stormwater Project
• MMSD NS12 Stormwater Project
• Dept. of Public Works Hopkins Protected Bike Lanes Project

Related Plans

• Industrial Land Analysis
• Connecting the Corridor Strategic Action Plan
• 30th Street Corridor Economic Development Plan
• MMSD 30th Street Corridor Plans

This winter, a consultant team will be working to prepare a market analysis to determine what types of uses can be supported on the site. The team will be reviewing existing plans and studies, holding meetings with key stakeholders, identifying site constraints, and conducting a market study that analyzes data on demographics, employment, industry activity, and amenities in the surrounding neighborhood and broader region to assess real estate market dynamics and feasibility for residential, commercial, and industrial opportunities. Final deliverables, including case studies and a final report, are anticipated by early spring 2026.