Uline is tapping the brakes on its next big Kenosha buildout, asking the City of Kenosha for a 12‑month extension on approvals for a planned distribution center along 38th Street and putting construction on hold while it sizes up the economy.
Brad Folkert, Uline's director of construction, told city planners the company has extended some Pleasant Prairie leases and "is just looking to pause for a little bit" as it gauges demand. The City Plan Commission signed off on a one‑year extension that keeps Uline’s previously approved building plan intact, even if shovels are not hitting the dirt just yet.
As reported by WISN 12, Folkert told the commission, "I don't think it's any secret there's unsettlement in the economy right now." Without the extension, the station noted, Uline would have been required to obtain a construction permit on the original timetable. Folkert also told officials the company does not plan to alter the building design already on file.
What Uline Planned For 38th Street
Kenosha economic development groups and earlier filings show the proposed complex would sit alongside Uline’s existing campus and substantially expand the company’s footprint along the I‑94 corridor. As reported by Kenosha Area Business Alliance, documents describe the project as roughly 1.4 million square feet, with industry reporting placing the parcel at the southwest corner of 38th Street and 128th Avenue.
Design materials cited in those accounts outline a large distribution building lined with hundreds of dock doors and long elevations engineered for high‑volume throughput, the kind of logistics hub that would further cement Uline’s presence along the busy interstate.
Company Reasoning And Local Context
According to Uline's corporate site, the company employs more than 9,000 people, and executives emphasized to city officials that the Kenosha pause is a timing decision rather than a scrapped project.
As reported by WISN 12, Folkert said lease extensions at Pleasant Prairie have the company "pretty well set" for the near term, giving Uline room to ride out what he described as economic uncertainty.
The business is led by founders Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein; Forbes estimates their combined net worth at roughly $6.7 billion, a reminder that this is a pause being called by a major player, not a shaky newcomer.
What Comes Next For Kenosha
The 12‑month extension keeps the city’s earlier approvals alive while giving Uline breathing room to watch market conditions. Over the next year, regulators and the company will have a window to decide whether to greenlight construction or keep the project on ice.
Local economic officials say Uline continues to be a major investor in Kenosha County and view the move as a scheduling adjustment, not a sign the project is dead. The pause appears to be about pacing, not pulling out, according to Kenosha Area Business Alliance.
