Work Starts on Southside Townhomes

Townhomes at 2034-2038 W. Greenfield Ave. Rendering from VIA CDC.

A Milwaukee nonprofit is moving forward with a new model for creating affordable homeownership opportunities on the city’s south side.

VIA CDC broke ground Wednesday on the first phase of a planned 10-unit townhome development along W. Greenfield Avenue.

The first four homes will be constructed at 2034-2038 W. Greenfield Ave., a long-vacant, 7,200-square-foot property that VIA recently received approval to purchase from the City of Milwaukee for $1.

The three-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot townhomes are expected to sell for approximately $125,000 to households earning no more than 80% of the Milwaukee area median income.

The first phase carries a $1.14 million development cost and is expected to be completed in July 2027.

VIA ultimately intends to construct six additional townhomes farther west along Greenfield Avenue on vacant lots at 2309-2311 and 2315 W. Greenfield Ave. Together, the two phases would create 10 owner-occupied homes at a total development cost of approximately $2.95 million.

The nonprofit says the project is intended not only to add houses, but to establish a development model it can replicate on other small vacant lots throughout Milwaukee.

“Today isn’t just about breaking ground on four townhomes. It’s about launching a new way to create affordable homeownership opportunities,” said VIA executive director JoAnna Bautch in a statement issued the day of the groundbreaking. “We’re taking land that has sat vacant for years and transforming it into places where families can build equity, create stability, and invest in their future.”

Each home will include three bedrooms, one bathroom, a private entrance, basement, porch and appliances.

Because of the depth of the initial development site, the first townhomes will be laid out with two units facing the street and two facing the alley.

Selling newly constructed homes for approximately $125,000 requires a substantial subsidy. VIA said the first phase is being supported by $500,000 in City of Milwaukee HOME funds approved by the Common Council in June, as well as funding from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, a UnidosUS strategic grant and other private philanthropic sources.

VIA will act as both developer and general contractor, handling the project from property acquisition through construction and sale.

The first-phase site has been vacant for years, but was once occupied by Mr. D’s Pizza, a longtime neighborhood restaurant. The building was demolished in 2010 after the restaurant closed. The city acquired the property in tax foreclosure.

“It’s projects like this that demonstrate what’s possible when we all work together with a shared vision,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson at the groundbreaking. “We’re not just constructing townhomes; we’re creating new opportunities, strengthening our neighborhoods, and investing in the long-term success of our city and the people who call it home.”

Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa and LISC Milwaukee Executive Director Theo Lipscomb also participated in the groundbreaking.

The development comes as Milwaukee officials and nonprofit housing organizations increasingly look for ways to expand the supply of entry-level owner-occupied housing.

New-home construction costs frequently exceed what lower- and moderate-income buyers can afford, creating a gap that affordable housing developers must fill with grants, public subsidies and other financing.

VIA’s townhome design is intended in part to address another challenge: the relatively small size of many city-owned vacant lots. By constructing attached homes, the organization can put multiple owner-occupied units on properties where detached single-family homes might be less economical.

The organization said it is already evaluating additional locations where it could repeat the model.

VIA has also been involved in other efforts to expand affordable homeownership in Milwaukee. It is among the organizations participating in a Community Development Alliance-led initiative to construct 45 affordable homes for early childhood educators.

The townhome project expands that work to a broader group of income-qualified buyers.

“This is the first step in what we believe can become a repeatable model for creating more attainable homeownership opportunities,” Bautch said.

Photos and Site Plan

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