A former school on Milwaukee's north side would be converted into 48 apartments under a plan that's received an initial city approval.
A former school on Milwaukee's north side would be converted into 48 apartments under a revised proposal that's received an initial approval from city officials.
Also, 18 new townhouses would be built just north of the school building.
The $18 million development, known as Historic Patterson Place, would be partly financed with federal affordable housing tax credits as well as historic preservation credits.
Developers that obtain the affordable housing tax credits, which are provided through an annual competition, must generally rent 85% of their units at below-market rents to people earning no more than 60% of the area median income.
The Plan Commission on Monday recommended a zoning change for the development. That zoning change needs Common Council approval.
The commission took its 5-0 vote after hearing opposition from some nearby residents, who said the development would be too dense for the site.
The development firms, AndersonWebb LLC and Wisconsin Redevelopment LLC, reduced the number of units and made other changes in response to concerns from neighbors first raised at a 2019 Plan Commission hearing.
Their plans initially called for 60 units, including 30 townhomes, said Sherry Terrell-Webb, of AndersonWebb.
Other changes include eliminating several curb cuts for driveways for the townhouses; adding more green space, and providing exterior security cameras, said Tina Anderson, of AndersonWebb.
The townhouses would be available under a rent-to-own program that allows tenants to eventually buy the units. Each townhouse would have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an attached garage.
Prospective tenants at Historic Patterson Place would likely include municipal employees, retail workers and construction workers, Terrell-Webb said.
The developers' other projects include Mitchell Street Lofts, an affordable apartment building at 1948 W. Mitchell St.
Carleton School was built in 1917, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It has been vacant since 2005.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former north side school to be converted to 48 apartments
