Former Milwaukee Walmart to become data center and storage facility
Milwaukee’s plan commission is reviewing proposals to convert a former Walmart building into an indoor self‑storage facility and a data center, part of a broader push to repurpose vacant retail space for tech‑driven infrastructure. City planners say the project could bring new investment and jobs to the neighborhood while raising questions about energy use and traffic.
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# Former Walmart Site Eyed for Data Center and Storage Facility
Milwaukee's Plan Commission is considering a proposal to convert a long-vacant Walmart building on the north side into a data center and self-storage facility, marking another chapter in the city's effort to repurpose abandoned retail spaces. The project, backed by AFS Milwaukee, would transform the 108,000-square-foot structure at Midtown Center into a mix of indoor storage units and computer research facilities, with a review scheduled for the commission's May 18 meeting.
The redevelopment comes as retailers continue closing physical locations nationwide, leaving cities scrambling to find new uses for large commercial buildings. Milwaukee has seen several such conversions in recent years, with developers increasingly turning to tech infrastructure and mixed-use projects. The Midtown Center location, near a recently remodeled Pick 'n Save, sits in an area where other development is already underway—including a separate 200-unit affordable housing project called Midtown Commons that the Plan Commission approved last month.
For Milwaukee residents, the project represents potential economic benefits and neighborhood investment, though it raises practical questions. City planners say the data center could bring jobs and new tax revenue to the area, but some have raised concerns about energy consumption and increased traffic from storage facility operations. The proposal also comes as the city balances competing development priorities, including the affordable housing push that's already transforming nearby parcels.
The Plan Commission will weigh the proposal alongside other redevelopment plans for the site, including a potential library component. A decision could come within weeks.