Two affordable housing projects that total nearly 90 units received a financing boost from Milwaukee County in an effort to expand affordable housing options and address historic disparities in housing access, county officials said.
Milwaukee County Executive
David Crowley signed the two bills this week that will provide $4.5 million to support projects in Milwaukee and Oak Creek.
Coggs building redevelopment
Oregon, Wisconsin-based
Gorman & Co. is set to receive $2.5 million for its mixed-use redevelopment of the existing Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Building, a county office building at 1220 W. Vliet St., just west of downtown Milwaukee. That building is being replaced by a new county office building one block north that is set to open in 2025.
In the meantime, Milwaukee County has
selected Gorman & Co. to redevelop the existing Coggs building into 65 affordable apartment units as part of a $32 million project. In addition to the housing units, Gorman also plans to build commercial space for Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services and a small cafe.
The three-story, 212,000-square-foot Coggs building was built in 1910 and once housed a Schuster’s Department Store that closed in 1961. Milwaukee County purchased the building in 1963. Gorman will purchase the building from the county for $1 million.
“The partnership with (Gorman) will create an estimated 200 jobs, add to the stock of affordable housing in Milwaukee and take a building past its prime for current use and renovate it for contemporary social needs," said
Celia Benton, economic development director for Milwaukee County. "Milwaukee County Economic Development also expects this project will further catalyze the county’s significant investments into the King Park neighborhood while also activating Vliet Street and enhancing public safety.”
In partnership with
Habitat for Humanity and Milwaukee-based development firm
Emem Group, Milwaukee County supported the construction of more than 100 new homes in the King Park neighborhood and surrounding areas, near the future Coggs Center and a soon-to-be revitalized community center at King Park.
Oak Creek affordable single-family homes
Another $2 million in funding will go to support an affordable single family home development in Oak Creek aimed at helping first-time buyers become homeowners.
The Oak Creek project would be built on two vacant parcels the county acquired in 2006 through a tax foreclosure, located at 9050 S. Annette Place and 3810 E. American Ave.
The county's Housing Services division has already secured $5 million in federal funding through a Community Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to bring utilities and roads to the project site.
Currently, the project is being led by Milwaukee County's Department of Health and Human Services, but the department plans to eventually partner with a homebuilder for construction of the actual units.
“Housing is the main social determinate of health and homeownership is necessary for families to begin building wealth,” said
Jim Mathy, Milwaukee County housing administrator. “This will be the first suburban affordable housing subdivision for homeownership in the history of Milwaukee County.”
Last year, Milwaukee County
announced that it would allocate about $6.6 million in funding to three affordable housing projects in suburban communities as part of its plan to boost affordable housing opportunities in the suburbs.
