
The approved plan for Westgate Mall does not contain retail space, which the developer said is difficult to support given current economic conditions. Instead, it will include 465 units of housing and a medical office building.
The redevelopment of Westgate Mall is getting an assist from the state and the deconstruction of the storied property could begin as soon as next month.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has awarded a $250,000 Idle Sites Redevelopment Grant to the city of Madison to remove hazardous materials and help demolish the more than 200,000-square-foot vacant mall on the city’s West Side.
JT Klein Company is expected to begin work on the $105 million project next month that will include 465 housing units just north of the Hy-Vee grocery store. A 2.5-acre parcel at the corner of Whitney Way and Tokay Boulevard is also being eyed for a medical clinic but retail and restaurants are not a part of the project, Jacob Klein, president of the development company said Monday.

The deconstruction of Westgate Mall could begin next month with construction of the first phase of housing starting in May or June.
“WEDC is committed to helping communities invest in revitalizing different sites to encourage economic growth,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “This project will not only bring new residential and commercial space to Madison, but it will also optimize the use of an idle property that had previously served the city for decades.”
Since 2014, WEDC’s Idle Sites Redevelopment program has awarded more than $17 million in grants to 25 communities. The grants are designed to stimulate investment and job creation at idle, abandoned and underutilized sites that are unlikely to be redeveloped solely by the private sector due to their scale and complexity, according to the WEDC.

Five buildings with a mix of market-rate, affordable and senior housing are planned for the site of Westgate Mall. Construction could begin in May or June.
Plans for the project include 234 market-rate units, 161 units of low-cost housing and independent senior living, and 71 units targeted toward those who earn a moderate income, spread out over multiple development phases. Construction on the first phase of the project, a 156-unit building, is expected to begin in May or June with the construction of other buildings in the five building, 10-acre project starting every four months thereafter, Klein said.

A fence surrounds Westgate Mall in preparation for its demolition next month.
Hy-Vee began removing the south end of the mall in 2012 to make way for the Hy-Vee after other retailers likes Dunham Sports and Woodcrafters left the shopping center. In 2016, a Kansas City, Missouri, developer submitted a plan to raze the remaining mall property and replace it with a mix of retail and up to 125 housing units. However that plan never materialized and over the last five years tenants like Rocky Rococo, Hancock Fabrics, Famous Footwear and Wisconsin Craft Market began exiting the mall.

An elevated view looking to the south at Westgate Mall when it opened in 1960. The storefronts are on the left and include Ragatz Shoes, Three Sisters, S.S. Kresge Co. and Pearson. The Piggly Wiggly is where a Hy-Vee, which opened in 2013, now stands.
Westgate Cinemas closed in 2008 after 30 years in business and in 2019 T.J. Maxx moved across the street to the revamped Whitney Square Shopping Center.
When Westgate opened in 1960 as the city’s first shopping mall, tenants included Meuer’s Photoart, Ragatz Shoes, Manchester’s Department Store, Uncle Paul’s Toy Shop, Kresge and J.C. Penney. A 20,000-square-foot Piggly Wiggly later became an Eagle and then a Kohl’s grocery store. Now, the with the exception of the Hy-Vee, the property will be largely dedicated to housing.
“The Westgate redevelopment brings a broad spectrum of housing offerings to a premier west side location,” said Madison Ald. Zachary Henak, who represents the neighborhood. “The proximity to amenities combined with a major transportation corridor and high walkability make this location a recipe for success. Diversifying the housing options provided in this neighborhood will prove to be an asset to residents as well as the surrounding community.”
Westgate Mall 1950s

An aerial view of Madison's West Side, which appears to show the future site of Westgate Mall. The Beltline is left to right in the lower part of the photo. The photo isn't dated but is believed to be from the late 1950s. Westgate opened in 1960.
Aerial view, 1959

J.C. Penney in Westgate, 1960

The management staff of the new J.C. Penney department store gather around specially designed spotlights for their jewelry counters.
Grand opening, 1960

An evening view of the Westgate Shopping Center reflected in a Montgomery Ward store window at the time of opening, while the center was still partially under construction.
Montgomery Ward, 1960

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Krantz of Verona take part in a square dance at the new Montgomery Ward store's open house Sept. 13, 1960.
S.S. Kresge Store, 1960

Interior view of the S.S. Kresge Store, which was the first to open in Westgate. It's pictured March 9, 2960.
Westgate parking, 1960

An elevated view of the parking lot at the Westgate Shopping Center on July 30, 1960. The storefronts are on the left and include Ragatz Shoes, Three Sisters, S.S. Kresge Co., Pearson and the Piggly Wiggly.
Westgate, 1965

The parking lot at Westgate Shopping Center in August 1965.
Westgate, 1974

Photo taken in March 1974.
Westgate Mall, 1995

A Milwaukee company is taking over management of Westgate Mall, above, and Whitney Square at Odana Road and Whitney Way in Madison.
Westgate Mall, 1996

Westgate Mall's $2 million facelift, shown here in June 1996, includes work on the shopping center's exterior, interior and parking lot, the first updating of the 34-year-old far West Side shopping center since the early 1970s. The exterior is getting a new stucco finish, which will feature three shades of taupe. The parking lot is being redesigned, repaved and restriped, and new lights will be installed to improve light levels and traffic movement, said Stan Sapiro of the Milwaukee-based Polacheck Co., which took over management of the mall last summer. The main entrance will feature a tree-lined pedestrian path. Interior refurbishing includes replacement of the floor in the common areas, new lighting and the addition of signs featuring a new mall logo. The 240,000-square-foot shopping center is owned by RIK Inc., a real estate holding company based in Des Moines, Iowa.
Westgate, 1996

Westgate Mall had a new logo and look inside, in October 1996, part of a multimillion-dollar remodeling effort.
Westgate Mall 1997

From Whitney Way, construction of the $10 million addition to Epic Systems Corp. appears to rise from Westgate Mall, shown here in March 1997. The addition nearly triples the size of Epic, which is located in the former Odana School at 5301 Tokay Blvd., northeast of the shopping center.
Westgate Mall 2004

Crossing this busy median break, shown here in August 2004, on Whitney Way between Odana Road and Tokay Boulevard was one of the more precarious maneuvers Madison drivers could undertake in 2003. More crashes happened here than any other intersection in the city.
Westgate Mall 2005

Westgate Mall officials hope to boost customer traffic with the introduction of a new anchor store. Photo is from February 2005.
Westgate Mall 2005

Westgate Mall, photographed Feb. 17, 2005, near the central entrance, facing north.
Westgate Mall 2005

Cindy Brekken, back from left, Barbara Rosser, Cathy Gauthier and Joanne Gauthier stroll Westgate Mall in December 2005.
Westgate Mall 2007

The Madison Cosmetology College, previously called the Scientific College of Beauty and Barbering, was a fixture at Westgate Mall for many years. It's shown here in February 2007.
Westgate Mall 2007

Empty storefront at Westgate Mall in April 2007.
Famous Footwear, 2007

Famous Footwear in Westgate Mall, said to be Madison's first enclosed shopping center, is shown here in April 2007. Changes planned at the time included an infusion of new retail and construction at Westgate Art Cinemas. The mall now leases more space to service businesses and offices and is 91 percent leased with 33 retailers.
Bead Bin, 2007

Bead Bin is shown at Westgate Mall in April 2007
Marquee, 2007

Westgate Art Cinemas, an anchor at Westgate Mall, photographed in May 2007. It was planning to soon serve alcohol and refurbish its theater.
Demolition, 2012

In this May 2012 photo, demolition is under way on the south end of Westgate Mall, near Whitney Way and Odana Road, to make way for a Hy-Vee grocery store.
Making way for Hyvee, 2012

Demolition at Westgate Mall is shown May 17, 2012. Space was being cleared for an 80,500-square-foot grocery store run by Iowa-based Hyvee.
Hyvee opens, 2013

The Westgate grocery store, shown in May 2013, was Hy-Vee's second in Madison.
Considering redevelopment, 2016

Missouri-based R.H. Johnson is mulling a redevelopment of Westgate Mall off of South Whitney Way in Madison. When this photo was taken in June 2016, the center had about 24 vacant stores.
Flood damage, 2018

On Sept. 5, 2018, Tom Daniels walks past a pile of trading cards and other merchandise piled in front of his Baseball Card Shoppe at Westgate Mall. The 1,200-square-foot store was inundated with nearly four feet of water in August that damaged a large portion of his inventory.
Deserted mall, 2019

A sign in the nearly deserted Westgate Mall is shown in May 2019.
Empty interior, 2019

Westgate Mall interior on May 19, 2019.
Westgate, 2019

Shoppers leave Westgate Mall after shopping at T.J. Maxx on May 19, 2019. A 2016 plan to redevelop the property never materialized.
Westgate Mall

A fence surrounds Westgate Mall in preparation for its demolition next month.
Westgate Mall

The deconstruction of Westgate Mall could begin next month with construction of the first phase of housing starting in May or June.