Harley-Davidson, Inc. will demolish the former Kohl’s grocery store near North 35th Street and Juneau Avenue as part of a plan that will improve its corporate headquarters while also adding parking.
The plans also eventually call for the installation of a gateway element that mimics the architectural design of the walkway currently on Harley’s campus.
The Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker currently uses the former Kohl’s grocery store building for storage, but the plan is to tear it down, along with the wall around it and then combine it with a parking lot to the west. The company will gain 101 parking spaces, along with adding new fencing and landscaping to the area. About 1,000 employees work on the campus, although demand for parking space fluctuates as many ride motorcycles to work in the summer.
The goal is to have the building down by the end of June and the project completed by September, said Maripat Blankenheim, Harley director of corporate communications.
An ordinance to rezone properties at 3602 W. Highland Boulevard and 1127 N. 35th St. from multi-family residential and local business to industrial-office is currently pending before the city’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee. The change will clear the way for the parking lot reconfiguration and other improvements the company has planned.
“As we look at the long-term goals of not just the neighborhood, but the company, this makes the most sense,” Blankenheim said.
The city approved vacating portions of Juneau, 37th and 38th streets and an alley in 2014 to clear the way for Harley to implement its campus master plan.
Blankenheim said the company plans to do more than just reconfigure the parking lots, but the projects will be done as the company is able to and when it makes sense.
“We really want this to be a cool part of the neighborhood,” she said.
Blankenheim said the company hopes the project will not only help employees and visitors with more parking, but also enhance the surrounding neighborhood and make the campus more inviting to potential employees.
