Flash Laundromats purchased the former O’Gorman’s West Towne Auto last fall and began converting the interior of the building to accommodate 50 washers and 50 dryers.
The owners of Cuppa Tosa Kitchen & Cafe have applied for a conditional use permit to reopen at 11320 W. Bluemound Road, with plans for "a breakfast/lunch concept restaurant with on and off-site catering for special events."
City officials and the developers say the conversion project will not be feasible without financial support from the City of Wauwatosa, which is considering creating a new tax incremental financing district to include the project.
City officials said the developer had been passed over for a $2 million affordable housing grant, leaving "no financial path forward for that project."
The Wauwatosa Common Council has scheduled a final approval vote Oct. 28, after seven property owners reversed course at the last minute and withdrew their signatures from an opposition petition.
Heat Haven has begun setting up its mobile saunas and cold plunges at pop-up installations in the region and has proposed a semi-permanent winter sauna park at Wauwatosa's Hart Park.
