Near West Side Partners Urges Mayor Johnson To Support Funding For Affordable Housing at Concordia 27 in the Near West Side

MILWAUKEE – The following statement was issued today by Near West Side Partners Executive Director Lindsey St. Arnold Bell:

“Near West Side Partners (NWSP) urges Mayor Johnson to join us in supporting the development of affordable housing at Concordia 27.

The mayor has set a big, bold vision for Milwaukee to grow to a million residents. That vision hinges in part on ensuring quality, affordable housing for Milwaukee residents — and Concordia 27 can provide exactly that. The upper floors of this revitalized, historic building are currently vacant and unused but are ready to be transformed into 33 high-quality, affordable housing units.

City of Milwaukee funding, if supported by Mayor Johnson, will enable NWSP to make housing units affordable for our neighbors who earn approximately $15-$20 per hour and will further catalyze Concordia 27 to reach its full potential as a community resource hub and place to live with dignity.

Together, we can achieve our vision of a Near West Side wellness corridor where our neighbors can find the support they need to address critical inequities, including housing insecurity.”

About Near West Side Partners:
Near West Side Partners (NWSP) is a non-profit organization that works to revitalize the Near West Side of Milwaukee in four key focus areas: safety, housing, attracting and retaining businesses, and promoting the well-being of our neighbors. NWSP was founded through the support of business and civic leaders, including the organization’s five anchor institutions – Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, Molson Coors and Potawatomi Ventures.

About Concordia 27:
NWSP partnered with Wiegand Enterprises to develop Concordia 27 based on the community’s vision – as identified during the 2021 Harley-Davidson Foundation Appreciative Inquiry Summit – with a goal to catalyze health, social and economic improvements for the Near West Side, City of Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin residents. The space represents the culmination of nearly a decade of collaboration between neighbors, business owners and NWSP and is the embodiment of neighbors’ vision for their community.

Concordia 27 is part apartment building, part hub for resources and career development, and part gathering space. It includes a cafe, six retail spaces available for small business owners or local artisans, a community event and meeting space, and offices for NWSP, the Centers for Independence (CFI), Fruition MKE, and Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee (SWIM). Onsite, neighbors can access health and wellness resources, engage with others in beautiful, creative spaces, and grow into new full-time job opportunities, and entrepreneurs and small businesses will be supported as they grow and generate additional jobs.

In addition to the community spaces and storefronts on Concordia 27’s ground level, the vision for the development includes 33 affordable housing units on levels two, three and four of the building. It is NWSP’s intention that these one- and two-bedroom units are made available to individuals and families of those making about $15-$20 per hour.

A true private-public partnership, Concordia 27 is supported with funding from the State of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other generous partners.

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.