GREENDALE CENTER
Northway and Broad Street
Village of Greendale, Wisconsin
America's third New Deal-era green suburb was built on the outskirts of Milwaukee, 8 miles southwest of the urban core. A 6.4-acre section at the epicenter of the town site would be developed as GREENDALE CENTER. The garden city, and its civic and commercial core, were designed by Elbert Peets.
Instead of the open-air mall layout of Maryland's GREENBELT CENTER, or bi-level strip complex format at Ohio's GREENHILLS CENTER, GREENDALE CENTER would consist of a simple linear grouping of stores. On the north end of the complex was the Village Inn, then a 2-level Post Office. This was linked, by covered arcade, with a movie theater building. A second covered arcade connected with a single-story store block on the south end.
This building housed three retailers. The first of these, the Co-op Food Store, welcomed its first customers on September 25, 1938. The single-screen Greendale Theatre, which was originally operated as a co-op facility, presented its first feature on April 29, 1939. By this time, a Post Office, Co-op Variety Store, Drug Store, bank, barber shop and shoe store had opened their doors. In all, GREENDALE CENTER encompassed approximately 28,000 square feet.
Soon after its completion, local citizens began referring to the complex as GREENDALE VILLAGE CENTER, or simply the VILLAGE CENTER. The garden city was officially incorporated as the Village of Greendale on November 1, 1938.
The first of many renovations got underway after the federal government sold the city and its shopping center to residents and private developers. Most transactions were conducted during 1952 and 1953. In December 1957, work commenced at a vacant parcel directly across the street from the VILLAGE CENTER.
A (42,000 square foot) strip complex was built, which housed approximately fourteen stores and services. Among these were Badger Paint, Estelle's Sausage Shop, Viele Drugs, Greendale Beer & Liquor, Village Men & Boy's Wear, Kunda Jewelers, Spic-Span Laundry & Dry Cleaning and a (16,000 square foot) Krambo Foods.
The new "Williamsburg-Southern Colonial" -style plaza was dedicated on November 12, 1958. Its facade matched the original architecture of the 1930s-vintage shopping center. A renovation of the original buildings was underway by the early 1960s, with the Village Inn and Post Office being substantially enlarged. An expansion of the south store block, housing a larger Drew's Variety Store, had been completed by the early 1970s.
Meanwhile, a section of the original town site had been developed as a major regional shopping center. SOUTHRIDGE MALL {.4 mile northwest of the VILLAGE CENTER} was dedicated in September 1970.
By the early 1990s, the VILLAGE CENTER was in decline. A local publisher purchased the "outdated, aging and mostly empty" property in September 1996. A major renovation was performed between 1997 and 1998. New awnings, brick roofs, trellises and towers were added, with most facades receiving a Post-Modern face lift.
The past-its-prime property had been gentrified. Upscale tenants now included The Candlemaker, Ferch's Meat Shoppe, Great Harvest Bread Company and the Original Coffee Company. As part of its revitalization, much of the architectural integrity of the original VILLAGE CENTER had been compromised.
The Greendale Historic District, which includes VILLAGE CENTER, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2005 and achieved National Historic Landmark status in October 2012.
Sources:
http://www.loc.gov / Library of Congress / Prints & Photographs Online Catalog / http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
The Milwaukee Journal
The Milwaukee Sentinel
www.greendale.org
"Village of Greendale: Comprehensive Plan 2010-2025 - Revisiting A Greenbelt Community" / November 2009
"A National Historic Landmark Nomination: Greendale Historic District"/ Linda McLelland / 2012
http://uihlein-wilson.com
www.greendalehistoricalsociety.org
