City Seeking Developer For Land Near Marquette Campus
RFP gives preference to homeownership-focused development.
2020 rendering of 541 N. 20th St. development proposal. Rendering from City of Milwaukee documents/Herro Company.
The Department of City Development is looking for a new developer to try to develop a vacant lot on the edge of the Marquette University campus after an earlier plan fell through at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lew Herro secured approval in February 2020 to purchase the 9,900-square-foot lot for at 541 N. 20th St. for $25,000 and develop a four-story, 27-unit apartment building at an estimated cost of $3.5 million. It was to be a model that could be replicated across the site.
But the plan never advanced after the pandemic took hold in March 2020. Construction costs have since spiked.
A newly-issued request for proposals (RFP) seeks to find a new developer.
“City of Milwaukee is looking for proposals that complement the surrounding neighborhoods and provide quality housing options. Multi-family developments, such as apartments, condos and townhomes are preferred uses for this site. The city will prioritize a proposal that includes opportunities for homeownership,” says the RFP.
The site’s current zoning designation, RM-7, can accommodate up to 30 units.
Milwaukee Common Council approval is required to enable the site’s sale, and any requested zoning change.
The asking price is $30,000.
A largely similar site, 1703-1719 W. State St., was redeveloped in 2023 into the six-unit “MU Mansions.” The three-bedroom units were constructed in a townhome-like style out of a modular construction system. Its name makes it clear who the target leasing audience is.
Responses for the 20th Street site are due by 3 p.m. on Jan. 17. A copy of the RFP is available on Urban Milwaukee.
Site Photo
2020 Renderings
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