MILWAUKEE – A proposed cohousing and condominium development in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood is moving closer to reality.
The River Trails Commons project received its first city endorsement Monday, when the Milwaukee Plan Commission recommended a zoning change to accommodate financing for the development. That change will need Common Council approval.
The project would target primarily first-time homebuyers, many of whom project leader Nola Hitchcock Cross says are feeling boxed out of the housing market given a steady increase in the median home price across Milwaukee.
“If you’ve owned a house, you know that one thousand things go wrong all the time,” says Hitchcock Cross. “In cohousing, we’re all in it together, so if something needs to get done, it’s going to be addressed by everybody. We’re not alone to deal with everything that goes wrong by ourselves.”
According to Realtor.com, in July of 2024, the median listing home price in Milwaukee was 219,900 dollars, trending up 15.8% year-over-year. Of the 39 planned units, 13 will be sold at below-market prices to those who meet income restriction requirements.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Work continues on planned Milwaukee cohousing development
As part of that mission, Hitchcock Cross says the development could include a garden, library, play room, workshop, guest suites, multifunction room, and outdoor lounge space. There would also be a shared electric vehicle on site.
At Monday’s Plan Commission meeting, a few neighbors expressed concern that the adjoining alley connected to Center Street would be inundated with traffic. The Milwaukee Department of Public Works says a review of the alley deemed that would not be an issue.
Groundbreaking on River Trail Commons is anticipated sometime in 2025, with the hope of completing the development the same year.
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