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Jan. 2, 2026, 5:02 a.m. CT
A new year brings new experiences.
Multiple major developments are set to open or get underway in 2026 in the SouthShore area — including some that will be totally new experiences for Wisconsinites.
Here are five notable projects to know about.
Costco in Franklin
Costco plans to build a 162,000-square-foot facility on a 20-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Drexel Avenue and 27th Street.
Stephen Cross, real estate development director for Costco, told Franklin’s Common Council on Nov. 4 the company hopes to kick off construction in late spring or early summer 2026.
He said construction should move quickly, with about 60 days of site work and grading and an additional 130 days to construct the building.
Franklin’s Mayor John Nelson called it “a pretty aggressive timeline” at the Nov. 4 meeting.
This would be the first Costco in Milwaukee County. The retail giant has stores in Grafton, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee, New Berlin, and Pleasant Prairie.
Costco is also working to open a location in Oconomowoc.
Abendschein Biergarten in Oak Creek
Visitors to Abendschein Park, 1321 E. Drexel Ave. in Oak Creek, might be able to enjoy a cold beer after a session of disc golf in 2026. The city’s Common Council approved an agreement for a permanent beer garden in the park, called Abendschein Biergarten.
Michael Grab and Tony DeBartolo — operating as Abendschein Park Beer Garden,LLC — have made an initial $200,000 investment to build the space primarily out of shipping containers. Live music, food, and a bocce ball court are all part of the development plans, too.
A revenue-sharing provision is included in the five-year agreement between APBGand Oak Creek, where the city is compensated with 15% of net sales.
The goal is to have the structure built and open the beer garden in summer 2026, according to the city. Oak Creek held its first pop-up beer garden at Abendschein Park in 2018, which Mayor Dan Bukiewicz said was very successful.
Grab and DeBartolo operate similar venues in Kenosha (Petrifying Springs Biergarten) and Bristol (Hansen Park Beer Garden).
Multi-use project on former Bucyrus Campus in South Milwaukee
A $50 million multi-use project is underway on South Milwaukee’s former Bucyrus Campus. This project, spearheaded by Scott Crawford, Inc., includes apartments, commercial space, and a school.
The Lawrence P. Kelly Senior Center is also relocating from Cudahy to this site aspart of the project. This comes after South Milwaukee closed its Chester W. Grobschmidt Senior Center in December 2024.
The campus, which sits at 1100 and 1022 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee, has multiple existing office buildings that are incorporated into the plans as renovations.
Scott Crawford is creating 132 apartments (a mixture of market rate and affordable housing), building a new multifamily building in the parking lot at 10th Avenue, and utilizing one of the existing buildings, known as the Corporate Building, as a private school called Guidance Academy Elementary School K5. An art alleyway, playground, and bicycle racks have also been included in project plans.
The project received $2.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds plus$500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding. The project is also getting tax incremental financing (TIF) funding from South Milwaukee.
The 4.4-acre parcel was sold to Bucyrus ACME, LLC, led by Que El-Amin, president of Scott Crawford, Inc., for $2.75 million, according to online property records.
El-Amin told the Journal Sentinel in November 2024 he hopes to have the projectcompleted in the third quarter of 2026.
The Bluffs on Lake in St. Francis
A 278-unit apartment development in St. Francis is set to open in fall 2026.
The Bluffs on Lake, a joint project of Chicago-based M&R Development and Campbell Capital Group, LLC, will offer studio to three-bedroom units to residents on 21 acres at 3700 S. Lake Drive, according to a September 2025 news release from M&R Development.
A two-story clubhouse with an entertainment lounge, kitchen, a game room, and a pet spa are among the amenities. A meditation room and Zen garden for residents are also mentioned in development plans.
The project also includes 8,000 square feet of first-floor retail space which includes a restaurant with outdoor seating. Nearly 100 surface parking spaces will be dedicated for retail guests.
Both developers were involved in 42 Hundred on the Lake, a 236-unit apartment complex that opened just south of this newest development in 2021.
Anthony Rossi Jr., executive vice president of M&R Development, said in their lease that 42 Hundred on the Lake leased in record time, and renter demand has only increased.
Pre-leasing for the units is expected to start in fall 2026, according to the release.
Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek
Wisconsin’s first Buc-ee’s travel center and fueling plaza will be under construction in Oak Creek in 2026.
The 73,370-square-foot facility is to be constructed on nearly 30 acres near West Elm Road and South 27th Street.
Touted as “the Disneyland of gas stations” by Buc-ee’s Project Coordinator Angela Janik, the project will include 120 gas pumps.
Buc-ee’s has been the subject of numerous meetings throughout 2025 and got its final needed approval in September 2025. The project was also the subject of a lawsuit in April 2025 from area residents who alleged illegal spot zoning by city officials. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice in August 2025.
Buc-ee’s is hoping to open its Oak Creek store in early 2027.
Another Buc-ee’s is proposed for DeForest, Wisconsin, but that project is working through issues related to needed road improvements.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at[email protected]. Like his Facebook page,TheRedheadliner, and follow him on X@Redheadliner.