Patricia Gieringer (left), of Menomonee Falls, smiles as she enters into IKEA as employees cheer. She was with her friend, Shanna Bremer (right), also of Menomonee Falls.  Photo:  Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The above title is a headline in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As the article illustrates, while IKEA is an economic boon for Franklin’s neighbor to the east, IKEA is certainly not alone. Oak Creek has seen an explosion of economic development activity in recent years, creating an unmistakable community vitality.

With IKEA’s grand opening today I thought the timing was appropriate to review Franklin’s rocky development road.

For the past several years I’ve compiled a list on what I considered the top Franklin news stories of the past year. In 2017 my #4 story was “Franklin remains a retail sieve.”

Please take the time to read.  There’s a lot of material. And as you do, ask yourself, other than future retail spots at Ballpark Commons,  if anything has changed in Franklin.