MONROE — In the lexicon of Wisconsin-bred commercial retailers, there are not many more recognizable, iconic, or locally beloved brands than Menard’s.
Monroe officials have long been hoping, working, and talking to the home-improvement retailer to lure it into its retail landscape. And the idea is not dead yet — Menard’s still has an option or ownership on around 50 acres near the corner of Wisconsin 69 and Wis. 81/11 to this day.
The original site plan from somewhere around 2009 called for a 162,000-square-foot retail store, plus 67,000 square feet of unheated covered space.
“The second big box on the north side of the city, Menards, plans a megastore to the east of the Supercenter, along Wis. 69,” gushed an overwhelmingly positive editorial in The Monroe Times. “Menards has until Nov. 20, 2009, to commence construction of the new store. We hope it’s much sooner than that.”
No doubt Menard’s had and has continued to have many loyal shoppers and followers.
Yet it never happened — and as with other things that never come to pass in any town, Menard’s arrival had been rumored, asked about, and lamented at various times ever since.
“People just love Menard’s and we’d love to have it in Monroe,” said Mayor Donna Douglas, who also thinks it would be a great fit, add jobs and provide local shoppers with a badly needed all-around home store.
She said more than a decade ago, when the retailer acquired that piece of land in the Monroe area, fans — and even folks who just wanted to buy a two-by-four or a saw blade after 6 p.m. — were elated, especially since they previously had to travel to Freeport to “save big money” while paying those Illinois taxes.
“We have lumber and that kind of thing they do a great job but you can’t buy that or other construction-things at night and sometimes that’s when people do remodeling on their houses,” Douglas added.
Dozens of discussions, questions, and negotiations later, the issue remains a priority for the city, given the interest that has been shown and the economic activity such a known home store might generate.
City Administrator Brittney Rindy said the effort is not on hold for lack of trying on the city’s part. The last contact was last year.
“Menards does own the land, and has since 2008, I believe,” she said. “They did complete a DOT study in spring of 2023, but we have no other information on their future plans for that land.”
Repeated attempts to reach a Menard’s representatives for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Meanwhile, though, the land sits idle, a testament to either lost retail dreams, bureaucratic roadblocks or a corporation’s change of heart. Still, the mayor is not given up just yet and said she supports a new push to convince the retailer to build here.
“I still hope it happens,” said Douglas. “Nobody has given up and we still talk to them when we can.”
An Eau Claire-based family-owned company started in 1958, Menard’s has more than 300 home improvement stores located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.