Allen Edmonds sells Port Washington land once eyed for warehouse expansion

The parent company of Allen Edmonds has sold land along Sunset Road in Port Washington next to its former distribution center, where the company once eyed a potential expansion of its operations.

The company until recently owned approximately 9.3 acres near the southeast corner of Bywater Drive and Sunset Road. According to state records, it has sold two pieces of that land to different buyers: Nearly 3.5 acres was sold to MJD Developments LLC for $120,000, and just over an acre was sold to Harbor City Holdings LLC for $50,000.

According to county records, sites are assessed at $105,100 and $34,100, respectively.

Both buyers list an address in Port Washington, and are affiliates of local businesses.

David Buckley of Milwaukee-based The Barry Co. and Tom Didier of RE/MAX United in Port Washington brokered the transaction. The Barry Co. stated in a news release that both buyers intend to develop the property for their businesses.

Harbor City Holdings is owned by the owners of plumbing contractor Harbor City Plumbing. Jordan Schwanz, co-owner of Harbor City, said a small building located on the 1-acre site will be used for storage.

MJD Developments is an affiliate of heating contractor Professional Geothermal Systems. A company official did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Allen Edmonds’ parent company, St. Louis-based Caleres Inc., until recently leased a 38,000-square-foot facility to the east of the 9.3-acre site. In late November 2018, the company said it would move those operations to a larger facility it had in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Buckley said Allen Edmonds owned the land because it had at one time viewed it as a possible expansion site for its distribution operations. Under that scenario, the company would have acquired the warehouse it was leasing and expanded it.

Another roughly 4.8 acres remains under company ownership and is available for purchase, Buckley said.

Caleres acquired Port Washington-based Allen Edmonds in late 2016 for $255 million. The company has since relocated the brand’s consumer-facing activities from Minnesota to St. Louis.

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