The demolition of the former Northridge Mall on Milwaukee’s far northwest side has officially concluded, according to the city’s Department of City Development (DCD).

The final structural demolition occurred Wednesday night, on a section of the mall that abuts a Menard’s store that will remain.

Demolition was led by Minnesota-based Veit.

“Crews worked hard to ensure the safest environment possible,” DCD said. “They made surgical cuts in the steel beams and pulled the structure with cables.”

Activity on the site now moves to earthwork and evaluating infrastructure.

“With the site now vacant, we anticipate that future developers will be confident in proposing a vision for the site once we complete the redevelopment planning process and list the site for sale, which we expect will occur in early 2026,” DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump said in a statement.

DCD declined to comment further on how the redevelopment and sale process will work.

In the meantime, DCD is continuing its planning efforts for the site, which include market research and infrastructure assessment.

Earlier this year, the city’s development consultant, Baker Tilly, said that attracting private redevelopment to the former Northridge Mall site may be a challenge due to long-term economic stagnation in the area and competition from nearby suburbs like Brown Deer and Menomonee Falls.

The City of Milwaukee took ownership of the Northridge property last year from previous owner U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group, a Chinese investment group, after the company stopped paying its property taxes, on top of failing to secure the property and being held in contempt of court.

February 2024: Aerial shot of the Northridge Mall site, looking southeast. Credit: Jon Elliott/MKE drones