The Concordia 27 project on Milwaukee's near west side, which will bring affordable apartment units, commercial and office space, as well as space for support services, received $2 million in funding as part of Milwaukee County's 2024 budget.
The $20 million mixed-use project, located at 821 N. 27th St., will have 33 affordable housing units on the upper floors for people earning $15 per hour and less. The money from the county will be going specifically toward the housing component of the project.
"We appreciate the county’s leadership in addressing historic housing instability in Milwaukee through this private-public partnership," said
Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, executive director of Near West Side Partners (NWSP).
The building’s first floor will include a community gathering space; sidewalk-facing commercial spaces for nonprofits; a commercial, demonstration and incubator kitchen in the skylit former West Point Garage at the back, and more.
The former retail spaces will be occupied by
Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI),
Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee (SWIM) and
NWSP to provide minority entrepreneurial support, housing resources and nutrition and wellness services. There will also be a cafe and co-working space called
Fruition.
MCFI will operate two commercial kitchens spanning 12,000 square feet in the building. The organization will operate a commercial demonstration kitchen in the building that will be used to provide job training for individuals with intellectual disabilities and those previously incarcerated. A larger production kitchen will augment the nonprofit’s work of preparing school lunches for area districts.
SWIM will occupy approximately 8,000 square feet of space spread over two floors. The organization seeks to build a trauma-responsive community that heals trauma and promotes resiliency. Its model calls for “training the trainers” to both process their own trauma and respond to the trauma of others. It will offer a special program for first responders.
"Together, we can achieve our vision of a near west side wellness corridor where our neighbors can find the support they need to address critical inequities, including housing insecurity, health disparities, trauma, food insecurity, unemployment, and transportation access,” St. Arnold Bell said.
The development received $5 million in support from the State of Wisconsin and $2 million in federal funds, and the rest is a combination of grant money and other private equity.
The first tenant, MCFI, should be operating in the space by the end of this month, with the remaining tenants and residential units to open in the months to follow, according to St. Arnold Bell.
[caption id="attachment_548519" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
A rendering of Concordia 27.[/caption]
