As development continues in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls’ downtown, Menomonie is right there with them.

Another attempt at redeveloping the former Leevers Foods site in Menomonie is well underway. A proposed redevelopment has been in the works since the failure of the Gateway Project last year, and it’s gaining steam. It was recently approved by the planning commission and now has to go through the city council.

Included in the plans are nine two-bedroom town homes, 24 two-bedroom apartments, 30 one-bedroom apartments and 12,000 square feet of retail and office space.

The project, which is being brought forward by Broad Street Menomonie LLC, proposes retail and residential spaces at 503 Broadway, which has been empty for some time. Included in the plans are nine two-bedroom town homes, 24 two-bedroom apartments, 30 one-bedroom apartments and 12,000 square feet of retail and office space for a total of four stories and 100,750 square feet.

While 2011’s failed Gateway project proposed student housing, Brett Naylor – who is the current owner and developer of the site – said he hopes to attract people who work at UW-Stout or other downtown locations as opposed to students, and the prices are there to match. Rent would land somewhere around $500-$600 for the one-bedrooms and $1,000 for two-bedrooms.

Possibly a huge support beam for the project, Menomonie Market – the growing food co-op that’s currently operating on Second Street – has already expressed interest in taking up much of the 12,000 square feet of retail space, with the rest being open for office space. The market would expand greatly in the new space, possibly taking up to 6,500 square feet.

The proposal went to Menomonie’s Plan Commision on Aug. 27 and was unanimously supported, though with the requirement for 96 parking spaces – which would cover one space per bedroom in the new building. From here the project goes to a public hearing at the Menomonie City Council on Sept. 17 and then possibly on to approval.

As you might remember, this isn’t the first time a redevelopment has been proposed at the Leevers Foods site. In 2011, Eau Claire-based AHMC Asset Management proposed and began to move forward on a large-scale redevelopment that wasn’t that dissimilar from the current proposal. The building would have had student residential and retail space and was supposed to be the “front door to Menomonie,” hence dubbing it the Gateway Project. While it passed through the Plan Commission and City Council unanimously, it was vetoed by Mayor Randy Knack and was met with opposition from a local citizens’ group. Soon after, the project stalled, restarted and eventually was canned.

As this project moves forward, we’ll have to wait and see if the proposal fares better than its predecessor.

Public Hearing on Broad Street Menomonie Development • Sept. 17, 7pm • Dunn County/Menomonie Government Center, 800 Wilson Ave.