Construction on
Concordia 27 on Milwaukee's near west side has reached 75% completion with the first spaces to open by late November.
The $20 million project, located at 821 N. 27th St., will bring commercial, residential, office and space for support services to the previously abandoned building.
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
Near West Side Partners (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.
"We think that programming this space and bringing in different organizations that are interested with Milwaukee residents is key for us to maximize the impact of this development," said
Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, NWSP executive director.
The building's upper floors will have 33 affordable housing units for seniors and families.
"Between all these elements, this could really be a model for what impactful neighborhood development could look like," St. Arnold Bell said. "My dream would be for every neighborhood in Milwaukee to have a resource hub like this."
As a historic renovation, the building's terrazzo floors, arched doorways and original stair railing will remain.
[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="576335,576336,576334,576337"]
The project was previously around $16 million, but rising interest rates and construction costs have increased costs.
"We've seen the same things everyone else has seen," St. Arnold Bell said of the project's rising costs. "We've been committed to the project because it's, frankly, too important to let those things set us back."
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.
St. Arnold Bell said the first tenant, MCFI, should be operating in the space by late November with the remaining tenants and residential units to open in the months to follow.
[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="576358,576357,576359,576363,576365"]
