Good Harvest hopes to grow its ideals with neighboring mixed-use building focused on healthy living
WAUKESHA - Good Harvest Market may soon have some neighbors — of both the business and residential sort — that share in the store's passion for sustainability.
If the plan comes together and investors can be secured, a three-story, 40,000-square-foot building containing a mix of retail, commercial and residential space would fill a 1.4-acre lot adjoining the natural foods store on Waukesha's north side.
Steve McAllister, president of McAllister Development Services, and Joe Nolan, co-owner and president of Good Harvest Market, jointly announced their intent to lead the development near Silvernail Road.
McAllister would focus on the design and construction of the building, while Nolan would market the property, seeking tenants, investors and financing for the project, for which a cost estimate was not immediately available.
The commercial space would total about 10,000 square feet, as currently conceived. The 15-to-20 residential units above it would range from 750 to 2,000 square feet.
Sustainable tenants
What the partners are certain about is that the development would keep the same focus on healthy living that Good Harvest Market, 2205 Silvernail Road, professes in its operations, including greatly limited its carbon footprint.
"Our plan for the building is to make use of energy-efficient systems, including geothermal heating and cooling, solar and other sustainable building practices," McAllister said in a Dec. 12 press release. "In addition, both residential and business spaces will have plenty of natural lighting, be a smoke-free environment, with underground parking, plus roof-top gardens and entertainment space."
It would overlook a 17-acre conservancy and would be within walking distance other stores, including supermarkets, and restaurants, an ideal consistent with sustainable and environmental initiatives stressed by Good Harvest.
The developers said their intent would be to sell the units as owner-occupied properties rather than leased.
Nolan said the draw for residential tenants would be the building's and neighborhood's attributes.
"We have a great location for empty-nesters and young professionals alike who want to be able to walk to shopping and dining, but also be able to leave their home without worrying about who’s going to mow the lawn or shovel their walk," he said.
For commercial tenants, the draw would be the interactive and symbiotic relationship they could share, Nolan said.
“We designed our new store’s building in 2014 with the thought of having space available on our second floor for complimentary businesses, which didn’t happen due to cost constraints," he noted. "However, it’s our hope that these same types of businesses — like alternative healthcare professionals, a yoga studio and green-friendly businesses — would welcome the chance to be within a stone’s throw of Good Harvest."
Nolan said he wouldn't rule out a micro-brewery as well.
"We also hope to have a shared work space, where small business owners and consultants, health and life coaches, etc., can share a work space for a small monthly fee," he added.
At the helm
Good Harvest and McAllister bring different elements to the project.
According to its website, Good Harvest, whose first store in Waukesha opened in 2005, markets itself as "Waukesha County's largest natural food store specializing in organic, local, and gluten free foods."
It stresses sustainability and health living. Good Harvest would use those elements to market the property.
McAllister will assist Good Harvest "through the construction process from conceptual design through successful project completion," a role it serves for its various clients, according to the press release. The firm has offices located in Wisconsin and Illinois.
