Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Announces $3 Million Affordable Housing Investment in South Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE – Today, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced a $3 million investment in affordable housing units as part of the redevelopment of the former site of Bucyrus-Erie in South Milwaukee.

The project, located at 1100 Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee, is being developed by Scott Crawford, Inc. and will create a total of 171 rental housing units. There will be 81 units dedicated as affordable housing that will target residents earning $15/hour or less, with eight units reserved for veterans earning less than 60 percent of area median income, whom will be referred directly by Milwaukee County DHHS Veterans’ Services.

“Milwaukee County is committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis for individuals and families across our community. This new investment in affordable housing in South Milwaukee furthers our vision of developing safe, quality, and affordable housing across Milwaukee County,” said County Executive Crowley. “This project is a continuation of our work to make critical investments in suburban communities to provide residents equitable access to affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, Together, we are working to support working families and veterans, strengthen our neighborhoods, and foster a healthier community for all.”

The project is a $50 million mixed-use development that will repurpose three former Bucyrus-Erie office buildings and construct a new building. Milwaukee County’s investment includes $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for 81 affordable housing units to be part of the project. This is the first-time that County CDBG funds have been used for the development of new affordable housing. This development is historic in that it will be a signature piece of a downtown revitalization plan for South Milwaukee, and follows a national trend of transforming office buildings into housing units, featuring a mix of market rate and affordable units.

“The redevelopment of the Bucyrus-Erie campus into housing is a signature economic development project that will contribute to South Milwaukee’s downtown renaissance,” said South Milwaukee Mayor James Shelenske. “We are grateful for our partners and would like to thank County Executive Crowley, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, James Mathy, Tim Sullivan, Que El-Amin and the Scott Crawford team for their collaboration in bringing this project to life.”

“It’s amazing to see this legendary company’s site become a historic development for South Milwaukee. For nearly 120 years, Bucyrus-Erie was the dominant employer here. The new housing development repurposing the buildings will allow this site to remain a cornerstone of the community,” said Tim Sullivan, former President and CEO of Bucyrus-Erie. “The Bucyrus Foundation has invested $10 million in South Milwaukee’s economic development efforts since 2020, and we are excited to see the campus and downtown gain new life.”

“Scott Crawford, Inc. is grateful to be a part of this historic project and working with such a dedicated group of public officials,” Que El-Amin, President, Scott Crawford, Inc.

“Housing is the main social determinate of health. We need to ensure that residents have access to affordable housing. This is critical to achieving better health, education, and economic outcomes, particularly at a time when Milwaukee County residents face significant challenges related to housing access and affordability,” said James Mathy, Housing Services Administrator, DHHS. “By investing in housing, we are investing in community health.”

At County Executive Crowley’s direction, DHHS Housing Services has funded the largest number of affordable housing projects in Milwaukee County history. Since taking office, Crowley’s administration has delivered over $35 million in funding for affordable housing projects across the community, particularly in Milwaukee County suburbs where racial disparities in housing access and homeownership opportunities continue preventing many residents from living in the neighborhood of their choice.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.