Crews Break Ground on Mammoth Springs Monday

After years of proposals, discussions, board meetings, and headlines, ground will be broken Monday on the Mammoth Springs project site. 

To mark the occasion, the village is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. June 24 at the project site, N63W23231 Main St. The Mammoth Springs development is a $19 million residential and retail development on a major corner in Sussex. The project will be completed with a mix of private and public funding, which will funnel into the project through a taxing district. 

“Ever since I purchased this property over 2 years ago I have been anxiously waiting for this day," said developer Arthur Sawall. "The Mammoth Springs Development will be one of the best and most unique mixed used developments in Waukesha County." 

The development will take several years to complete, but the site work, the rerouted Bugline Trail and two 30-unit, high-end residential buildings will be constructed in 2013. Ultimately the site will include over 150 residential units, over 12,000 square feet of commercial space, and a walking path highlighting the site's 3-acre quarry pond.

“For close to two decades now the site has been absent of economic life and June 24 starts a new chapter for the area," said Village President Greg Goetz. "The buildings and the site design continue to transform that corner and I look forward to the vibrancy that this development brings with it. I love Sussex and am so happy to see the development finally become reality.”

In order to see the project through, the village is prepared to invest $4.7 million in the construction of the $21.6 million project. The village would provide $2.1 million in 2013, with $1.6 million designated for development incentives. The remaining funds would cover land acquisition and Bugline Trail relocation costs.

The village would issue another $1.2 million in 2016 as developer incentives. Another $1.443 million would be advanced to the developer for a stream project, decorative fencing, streetscapes, utility work, and administrative costs. The advance date would be determined by the progress of the project.

It isn’t the first time Sussex leaders have used the taxing district option. After the cannery closed in 1996, the Community Development Authority amended the boundaries of its redevelopment plan to include the Mammoth Springs site. In 2001, the village amended the boundaries of its fourth taxing district to include Mammoth Springs. However a variety of issues associated with a development proposal made it unfeasible.

After another failed attempt in 2003 to kick start development on the site, the site stood silent until the taxing district closed in 2009 and M&I Bank acquired the site. In 2011, M&I Bank sold the site to Sawall.