September 24, 2022 – West Bend, WI – “The weeds are about 8 weeks high,” said one neighbor as a couple pieces of heavy equipment sat idle at the construction site of a new Panera Bread and Chipotle, a popular Mexican Grill style restaurant.
The construction on the southeast corner of Parkway Drive and Paradise Drive in West Bend, WI got underway in April 2022 when the old Shell South gas station and car wash were razed.
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A CSM-22-004 certified survey map was presented at Plan Commission to create two lots located at the southeast corner of Parkway Drive and W. Paradise Drive, by Ram Subedi, PMM Development, LLC.
Plans showed a 2,500-square-foot building closest to Parkway Drive for the proposed Chipotle and a 3,800-square-foot building to the east for a proposed Panera.
Foundations were poured and then…. nothing.
Neighbors started to speculate about reasons for a slowdown including, “supply chain issues” or “worker shortage” or even “permit issues.”
Multiple calls were placed to the city and this week City Engineer Max Marechal said the slowdown is due to a change in location of the water lateral.
“They only had a plan of the water coming from the northeast corner of the property, but they couldn’t connect to the watermain over there, so they changed the plan to connect from the south of the property into Parkway Drive,” he said. “They had to change their plans and then make the connection and I know that delayed them.”
Marechal said he is not aware of where the contractors are with regard to bringing in an underground pipe and then starting construction on the building.
Marechal did not believe updated plans would have to go back to Plan Commission, but he did confirm the change in water lines is having a ripple effect on the permitting process.
“We did not sign that permit stormwater permit yet, because of the change of the water lateral they had to change the CSM (certified survey map) to feature easement for those water laterals,” he said. “We’re waiting for them to get the CSM back with the easement location and once that is recorded then we can approve that permit and I’m told the CSM document is currently under review.”
If additional permits are also pending, Marechal said he is “unaware.”
District 1 alderman John Butschlick also followed up with an inquiry about the project delay. “I talked with planning and development, and they said everything with the city is up to speed and the owners are waiting for paperwork with the state,” he said.
Early word is Panera wants to open in spring 2023.
Stay tuned.
This is a working story, and more details will be posted when information becomes available.