While Kohl’s Corp. has yet to make it official, company officials have decided not to move Kohl’s headquarters from Menomonee Falls to the Park East area of downtown Milwaukee, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Journal Sentinel, citing an unnamed source, said executives at Kohl’s have notified city officials of their decision.
With more than 5,500 employees, Kohl’s is one of the area’s largest employers. Milwaukee has attempted to lure Kohl’s to the Park East site since it became publicly known that the retailer is running out of space at its Silver Spring Drive corporate office. The source did not know the factors behind Kohl’s decision, but the report speculated that the higher cost of building in smaller, urban parcels could have been one consideration.
While the news would be a blow to Milwaukee’s attempts to develop the Park East area, it could mean that Menomonee Falls will retain the tax base represented by Kohl’s. The Menomonee Falls Village Board is committed to spending up to $41 million in public money to finance an expansion of Woodland Prime Business Park, which could include a new corporate headquarters for Kohl’s.
