[June 2, 2026] Self-storage, townhomes could transform vacant Glendale office property (Milwaukee Business Journal)
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The former home of the North Shore Library in Glendale could be converted into a self-storage facility as part of a broader development planned by a firm known for creating mixed-use districts.
Milwaukee-based Cobalt Partners proposes a phased project called Coventry Commons at 6800 N. Port Washington Road. In addition to the storage facility, the development at the prominent site eventually also would include housing and commercial uses.
The 60,000-square-foot office building on the property previously housed the North Shore Library on the first floor. The library relocated this year to OneNorth in Bayside, a development led by Cobalt and La Macchia Holdings, adding to the Glendale building's vacancy.
An entity registered to William La Macchia of La Macchia Holdings in March bought the 4.33-acre Glendale property for $750,000, real estate records show.
Cobalt Partners and La Macchia now plan to repurpose the three-and-a-half-story office building on the site as an indoor self-storage facility, saying in a letter to the city that the building has become "functionally and economically obsolete for contemporary office use."
Citing the lack of market demand for office, a realistic alternative to the self-storage proposal is demolition and redevelopment, the filing says. Cobalt says that approach likely would require public subsidies to offset costs and market risks, which is "neither feasible nor desirable," the letter states.
Beyond the self-storage, future phases of Coventry Commons call for in-fill development on parking lots surrounding the building, including commercial uses and multifamily housing.
Conceptual plans prepared by architecture firm Rinka show just under an acre of commercial development near the site's western entrance at the intersection of North Port Washington Road and West Coventry Court and nearly 2 acres of residential development on the eastern portion of the property.
The residential component could include townhomes or garden-style multifamily buildings at densities of up to 16 units per acre. Plans show three potential buildings, each up to three stories tall.
The commercial portion could accommodate retail or restaurant uses. One restaurant with a drive-thru could be allowed under city code, city records show.
The project would require the land to be rezoned and divided into four sections to permit the project to be built in phases based on market demand.
Glendale's Planning and Architectural Review Commission is scheduled Tuesday to consider the rezoning request.
City staff said in a report to the commission that the proposal is consistent with Glendale's goals for in-fill development, housing diversity and mixed-use redevelopment of underutilized properties. Staff recommended approving the rezoning request subject to conditions, such as the developer providing further details on the planned housing.
In addition to OneNorth, Cobalt is behind suburban Milwaukee developments including the 84South complex in Greenfield and White Stone Station in Menomonee Falls.
The firm also plans a sports complex in Brown Deer and the Harvest at Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc and Summit, and it is a partner in developing the Kenosha Harbor District.
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