In a novel public/private partnership, team dealer and sporting goods retailer Burghardt Sporting Goods has partnered with the city of New Berlin in Wisconsin to acquire and re-use a former Walmart building for the construction of the New Berlin Recreation Center.

The recreation center will “serve as an inter-generational, dynamic space where the City Recreation Department can create, cultivate and expand a number of its current programming opportunities for city residents and program attendees...” according to a press release issued by the city.

Burghardt Sporting Goods will move its headquarters to the former Walmart building. The move will bring about 80 jobs to the vacant building, located in the Moorland Square shopping center at 15333 W. National Ave. The former Walmart store was constructed in the 1990s and was replaced in 2015 by a new 152,000-square-foot Walmart store, BizTimes reported.

“Burghardt's has been wonderful to work with and I anticipate this partnership only growing stronger and more beneficial to both parties as we move forward” says mayor Dave Ament.
Burghardt Sporting Goods will be relocating its Brookfield retail, team and web sales departments, in addition to its screenprinting, embroidery and fulfillment operations, to New Berlin's City Center.

The Burghardt space will also include a new Performance Center featuring a HitTrax baseball and softball hitting facility, expanded team and corporate sales show rooms and interactive retail displays.

“We are thrilled to be working with the City of New Berlin to create a desirable and synergistic destination for residents and athletes” says Lynn Burghardt.

Burghardt's plans to open up its web and printing operations as well as the performance center by January 2021 with their retail and team sales areas opening sometime around March of 2021.

Burghardt Sporting Goods has been doing business in the Milwaukee area since 1881 and is recognized as one of the oldest family-owned and operated sporting goods stores in the United States. Brian, Carl and Lynn Burghardt continue to carry on their family's work as the fifth generation owners.