Greenwich Park Apartments Taking Shape

After years of delay, the Greenwich Park Apartments are finally taking shaping on Milwaukee’s East Side. Located at 2353 N. Farwell Ave., the first phase of the project will include a six-story building with 53 apartments. The building is being developed by Chicago-based Mercy Housing Lakefront, a non-profit real estate firm.

The project received $652,500 in low-income housing tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing Economic and Development Authority in 2014, after being rejected in 2011. The credits require the developer to set aside 45 units at below-market rents for people making 60 percent or less of the area median income.

Last year the developer came before the city to amend Mercy Housing’s Detailed Planned Development zoning package following final engineering work. They reduced the number of parking spaces from 52 to 44 following the discovery of contaminated soil on the formerly city-owned parking lot. The project is now being built without a basement.

Not unlike the Milwaukee Streetcar project, utility relocation has been a painful point in the project budget. Relocating electrical poles and two transformers is expected to cost nearly $500,000, a nearly five-fold increase from projections. This led to a change to wood-frame construction above the second-floor, eliminating the possibility of a glassy facade and making it instead appear much more like every project being built.

The second phase of the project, to be located immediately to the south, is planned to include 40 units and 33 parking spots. It would be built on a parking lot owned by US Bank. This building would also be part of the Greenwich Park Apartments complex: when finished it will be two different buildings but one complex..

Northtrack Construction is serving as the general contractor on the project. The building is being designed by Korb + Associates Architects. General Capital Group is providing development assistance. The total project cost is estimated at $16.7 million.

Mercy Housing Lakefront purchased the project site, formerly a 46-stall parking lot, from the city for $150,000. Terms of that deal require the developer to work with the East Side Business Improvement District #20 and Columbia St. Mary’s to establish public parking at the 300-space parking garage in the Whole Foods/Prospect Medical Commons building.

Construction on Greenwich Apartment Projects began in October. Mercy Housing Lakefront has also developed the 91-unit Johnston Center Residences in Milwaukee. In addition, the firm manages the St. Catherine Residence and associated McAuley Apartments in Milwaukee’s Yankee Hill neighborhood. The non-profit organization will take over the housing properties of Franciscan Ministries this year, which includes the 221-unit Jefferson Court Apartments in Milwaukee.

Construction Photos

2015 Design

2013 Design

2011 Design

2010 Design