Retail giant Target is all set to expand its reach with a brand-new store coming up in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, located just 10 miles north of Milwaukee. The new store will be built on a 9.6-acre site and is expected to open by the end of 2026.
This addition will become part of Target’s growing family of 1,978 stores across the country and is part of a bigger plan to open 300 new locations over the next 10 years.
The Deal Behind the New Location
Target bought the property for $7 million, which is part of a larger 23-acre site known as The Marketplace of Brown Deer. The area is being transformed into a mixed-use development, combining shopping, living, and commercial spaces.
The exact site includes addresses at 9020, 9070, 9074, and 9080 North Green Bay Road, according to property records from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
This new Target will be 128,000 square feet, similar in size to the brand’s other large-format stores, and will serve as the anchor of the newly developed shopping area.
What’s Coming to The Marketplace of Brown Deer
The development is being handled by Woodsonia Real Estate, a firm based in Nebraska that purchased the entire Marketplace site for $11 million. Their plans, already approved by the Brown Deer Village Board, aim to breathe new life into a shopping center that has seen high vacancy rates in recent years.
Here’s what the full project will include:
- The Target store as the main anchor
- A three-story apartment complex with around 100 market-rate units
- Over 21,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor
- Three new commercial outlots to join an existing 10,000-square-foot outlot
Target’s Growth Plan
This new store is part of Target’s broader strategy to modernize its presence. According to the company, it’s not just about opening more locations. It’s about enhancing the shopping experience, offering more career opportunities, and becoming more involved with local communities.
A similar two-level Target store opened at Bayshore in Glendale in 2021, just eight miles from the new Brown Deer site. That store includes a supermarket and is roughly the same size as the one planned for Brown Deer.
Not All Smooth Sailing for Target
While Target is growing, it’s also facing some challenges. In 2016, the company closed a store on West Brown Deer Road, which was then turned into a warehouse. In 2023, Target shut down nine stores in major cities, citing issues like theft and organized retail crime.
The company has also said that a few underperforming stores will be closed in 2025, but not as many as other major chains.
For example, Dollar Tree plans to close 370 stores after already shutting 600 locations, and another well-known department store chain is closing more stores with final clearance sales ending by May 25.
Target’s new store in Brown Deer is not just another retail outlet—it’s a key part of a larger plan to revive a struggling shopping area and bring in new life with homes, stores, and services. With over 128,000 square feet of retail space, this new location is designed to give local shoppers a better experience while adding jobs and boosting the local economy.
This move shows how big brands like Target are adapting—expanding in high-potential areas while closing underperforming stores. As the retail landscape shifts, plans like this reflect a strong mix of smart business and community investment.