Medical College of Wisconsin Building First Student Housing in Its History
Four-story, 266-unit, $70 million complex will provide more affordable housing on campus.
The Medical College of Wisconsin breaks ground on its first student housing facility on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wis. Photo courtesy of the Medical College of Wisconsin
For the first time in its history, the Medical College of Wisconsin will have on-campus student housing.
The project broke ground Tuesday on the Wauwatosa campus, with college and city officials hoping it will ultimately help connect students with each other and the community.
The four-story, 266-unit building, dubbed Trailmark at MCW, will open on what was a surface parking lot at Watertown Plank Road and 87th Street in Spring 2028.
“We have almost 40 different programs,” said Matthew Lester, chief operating officer of the Medical College. “This gives (students) the perfect opportunity to interact — a pharmacy student, a PhD in biochemistry, a genetic counselor — because those teams are going to be so critical in the health care world of working together.”
A rendering of the new Trailmark building at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Its the first student housing the college has offered in its history. Rendering courtesy of the Medical College of Wisconsin
The $70 million project is being paid for by the Medical College. Lester said most of the units will be one-bedroom, since the students are older, established and prefer to live by themselves.
The cost of the units for students has not yet been determined.
Lester said the goal is to be “below what the average price of a unit in the market would be.”
According to the online real estate website, Zillow, the average price for a rental in Wauwatosa is about $1,700 a month. In Milwaukee the average rental price is $1,300 a month.
On-site living will also cut down on the tens of thousands of vehicles who visit the grounds daily.
The Medical College is tightly packed onto a bustling campus of two dozen buildings including Froedtert and Children’s Wisconsin hospitals.
Trailmark at MCW is expected to take about 300 cars off the complex a day.
The on-campus apartment building marks a shift for the 133-year institution, which has relied on off-campus housing for its approximately 1,200 Milwaukee-area students.
The project was driven by growing student demand for housing closer to campus.
The Medical College is one of a few standalone medical colleges that doesn’t currently have a residence hall.
Studies have found living on campus can affect students’ attitudes and academic performance.
MCW student Paul Sidlowski said the importance of accessible and affordable housing for students at MCW really can’t be overstated.
Sidlowski said medical students and scientists keep long, odd hours.
“One of the great strengths of MCW is the fact that we are a place that brings together clinicians and scientists,” Sidlowski said. “And I know that for the future generations of students who are able to live here amongst each other, amongst all of the different types of perspectives that MCW has to offer, this new Trailmark building has the potential to become a hub where those connections can happen really naturally.”
Medical College of Wisconsin adding student housing for the first time in school’s history was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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One way to keep rents affordable would be to turn housing facility into a student housing cooperative. For last 50 years, The University of Minnesota has operated two cooperatives for students and their families.
Great news! We need more doctors! Going to medical school isn’t easy – and anything that helps is a positive!
I don’t understand why the Milwaukee VA Medical Center isn’t converting some of the buildings to house medical students and other hospital staff. What about the Governor’s Mansion?
Wish that Representative Fitzgerald had actually looked at Public Law 117-168, Honoring our PACT Act of 2022.
Billions are spent to hire more doctors for the VA – by increasing pay and bonuses. However, what about money to actually increase the number of doctors? If your grandmother can’t find a doctor taking Medicare, it could be that he or she is now working for more money at a Veterans Hospital.
Representative Fitzgerald could have grown the DoD Medical School. There could have been a requirement that 15% of Cadets attending a DoD Service Academy be allowed to attend medical school. Could have directed that the US Army expand the size of the LPN Training Program and that Soldiers be given the opportunity to work at VA Medical Centers providing medical care to veterans. Why be smart with money?
TITLE IX—IMPROVEMENT OF WORKFORCE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Sec. 901. National rural recruitment and hiring plan for Veterans Health Administration.
Sec. 902. Authority to buy out service contracts for certain health care professionals in exchange for employment at rural or highly rural facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 903. Qualifications for human resources positions within Department of Veterans Affairs and plan to recruit and retain human resources employees.
Sec. 904. Modification of pay cap for certain employees of Veterans Health Administration. Sec. 905. Expansion of opportunities for housekeeping aides.
Sec. 906. Modification of authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to hours, conditions of employment, and pay for certain employees of Veterans Health Administration.
Sec. 907. Waiver of pay limitation for certain employees of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 908. Elimination of limitation on awards and bonus for employees of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 909. Additional authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to recruitment and retention of personnel.
Representative Fitzgerald isn’t a real friend of the military (or anyone else?). He doesn’t care that senior officers who fail the military are allowed to retire at full pay. Look at Ms Janet Mello, a US Army Civilian Employee, stole more than $108 million. What did the US Army do to hold those above Ms Mello accountable? Who retired at a lower rank? There is a failure in Afghanistan with Colonel Vergez and Brigadier General Reheiser. Colonel Vergez was convicted of false official statements and conflict of interest in federal court after he retired. While he has a federal conviction for lying and greed while on active duty, he is receiving full retirement pay. Brigadier General Reheiser pushed the G222/C27A for the Afghan Air Force, resulting in more than $549 million in wasted tax dollars, and he’s receiving full retirement pay. (Google SIGAR Report G222- worse than the report! ) Captain Timothy Conroy and Rear Admiral Richard Wren are receiving full retirement. A little accountability could improve leadership!