The long-vacant Boston Store site at Southridge Mall is finally getting a new chapter. Greendale has handed the western edge property to a developer tied to Barrett Lo, clearing the way for a multi-phase mixed-use project that could swap out an empty department store for hundreds of apartments, street-level shops and a new public green.
Sale Is Official, Developer Steps In
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Village of Greendale sold the roughly 14.8-acre parcel at 5300 S. 76th St. for $3.3 million to an entity called Blvd Southridge LLC. State property records show the sale filing was recorded on May 7, 2026. The deal follows the village’s earlier purchase of the vacant Boston Store and years of negotiating to unwind restrictive covenants that had sharply limited what could be built there.
What Verdell on the Green Brings to the Table
Developer plans and local reporting describe a project branded Verdell on the Green that would replace the former anchor with a cluster of mid-rise buildings. The layout centers on a roughly 15,000-square-foot public green, flanked by about 20,000 square feet of retail space at street level. Unit counts have shifted as designs were tweaked and approvals phased in, with filings and coverage listing figures ranging from the high 600s to about 790 apartments, according to BizTimes and other local outlets.
Who Is Behind the Project and When Work Starts
Milwaukee-based Barrett Lo Visionary Development is leading the effort and is working through its local affiliate, Blvd Southridge LLC. In public materials and filings, Barrett Lo and village officials say demolition is expected in 2026, with construction rolling out in phases once detailed development plans and permits are in place, as outlined by Barrett Lo Visionary Development.
Untangling the Legal Knots
The site did not get here quickly. The project was slowed by decades-old covenants on Southridge parcels that restricted new uses, and at points the village even pursued condemnation to clear those limits. Reporting in the Milwaukee Business Journal and BizTimes details how Greendale negotiated with other mall owners and used legal tools to lift those barriers before closing the sale.
What Neighbors Can Expect Next
Village leaders say the sale is meant to help stabilize the tax base and pump new foot traffic into an aging mall that has watched anchor tenants disappear over the years. Exact dates for new shops and apartments are still tied to future approvals, but officials expect phased permitting and plan reviews through the summer. Neighbors can track filings and upcoming public hearings through village notices and local coverage, including reporting by TMJ4.
