How Would You Make Greenfield Better?

I have a little tidbit to share with you, something you may not have none about me:

I don’t live in Greenfield. I live just outside of the city limits in West Allis, just a few blocks away and within a few driving minutes of most locations within Greenfield.

But I do spend quite a bit of time in Greenfield, and have certainly been made to feel like a member of this great community. More and more, I care about the city, its present and its future.

So, if money was no issue, nor were any logistics whatsoever (such as zoning, land limitations, etc.), how would I make Greenfield better?

I’d love for the city to have lower taxes, less crime and better roads where needed. Who wouldn’t? But the following short wish list of sorts is simply one man’s perception of what Greenfield needs, or at least could use, with total disregard to all logistical issues.

Not necessarily in any particular order:

1. A first-run movie theater: Sure, The Ridge in New Berlin and The Majestic in Brookfield aren’t too far away, nor is South Shore Cinemas in Oak Creek. And I do love the bang for the buck you can get at on Highway 100 (though I could do without the busted seats, limited parking, etc.).

But wouldn’t it be great to have a huge, 15- to 20-screen theater, say, right off the freeway in the Spring Mall area where a vacant Pick ‘n Save now sits. You spend the day shopping or eating on 76th Street and then settle in for a late showing of the week’s most popular flick. Sounds perfect.

2. An outdoor water pool and/or park: When we put together our Patch , it occurred to me that Greenfield could use another hot spot for summer family fun. People can enjoy one of the absolute best pools around at , but summer is about water slides, wave pools and splash zones.

3. Save the Turf, or a great-looking replica: Just had the pleasure today of meeting Jesse Geboy, a key member of the Save the Turf non-profit organization that is trying to . The guess here is the land where the original park sits is going to be priced out of the budget, but a modern replica close to the original could be a huge success and put Greenfield on the map as the skateboard capital of, at the very least, the Midwest.

4. Where is downtown Greenfield?: That’s an impossible question to answer because there isn’t one. There’s the shopping/commercial corridors of 27th Street, 76th Street and Highway 100, and mini-hubs on Layton Avenue (, , ) and by and the Community Center.

But where can Greenfield folks walk up and down the street, popping in and out of shops and diners without their eardrums being deformed by the sounds of heavy traffic. Other than on 76th Street, where do people go just to hang out, read a book or meet their neighbors?

There are talks about , connecting the vibrant 76th Street experience with that of Southridge Mall in Greendale. But an even better idea, to me, would be if Spring Mall was somehow revitalized and connected with the City Hall/Community Center “block.” Picture folks walking from events at the community center, across the street to an ice cream shop or a craft store, or a deli.

I’d certainly love to hear your thoughts. Tell me what businesses you’d love to see move to, be built in or maybe even leave Greenfield.