GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Steps are being taken towards affordable housing in Green Bay; a new partnership announced Thursday will advance the development of City East.
Brown County United Way has joined the City of Green Bay, Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), and Mosaic Development on the project; located at the 1100 block of East Walnut Street in the Joannes Park neighborhood.
In May 2022, Mayor Eric Genrich connected Brown County United Way with MF Housing Partners, a joint venture between Mosaic Development and Fore Development, who wanted to collaborate with a nonprofit organization to establish an onsite facility offering residents programming and services for City East development.
The three-story apartment building will include a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units over its total 43 units.
In March 2022, through the support of Senator Tammy Baldwin, $1 million was included in the bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2022 to establish a neighborhood community space that would become a central location for neighborhood residents to gather, support, and learn from each other. The $1 million appropriation combined with local funding has accelerated the next step in the initiative.
The developers and United Way received $6.1 million dollars in tax credits and $6.8 million in construction financing from WHEDA for the project, and the City of Green Bay is offering $1.3 million. Brown County United Way secured $1 million in federal funding.
The cost of construction is $11 million.
Robyn Davis, President & CEO of Brown County United Way, says residents will have access to more than just a place to live.
“They’re will be rooms for private consultations with human services organizations, there will be multi-purpose spaces that can be divided into different sized rooms for programming and classes…” said Davis.
Brown County United Way will also have offices in City East.
Construction of the building will begin in July; it’s anticipated to open in 2024.
