The former St. Anthony's Hospital will be repurposed into 60 permanent supportive housing units by Chicago-based nonprofit Heartland Housing.
The building, at 1004 N. 10th St., erected in 1931 to designs by E. Brielmaier and Sons, has been used as a hospital and a detention center in the past. The hospital became the St. Anthony Family Medical Center in 1987 and closed a year later. Nurses at the hospital founded the St. Ben's Clinic at the church next door in 1980.
The former hospital building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Now it will, according to a press release, be renovated into "60 modern apartments, onsite property management and supportive services offices, and new space for partner Capuchin Community Services’ health clinic and homeless outreach programs."
The complex will offer onsite services to assist the residents maintain stable housing while working on health, self-sufficiency and other issues.
The project is expected to be complete by October 2018.
"We believe society is better for everyone when all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. Affordable housing is the foundation to these achievements," said Michael Goldberg, executive director of Heartland Housing, in a statement. "Heartland Housing is thrilled to be adding a fourth permanent supportive housing development in Milwaukee as part of our efforts to support those who have struggled with homelessness in stabilizing their lives."
"Capuchin Community Services has been serving the poor, the hungry, and the homeless for nearly 50 years," added Brother Rob Roemer, ministry director of Capuchin of Capuchin Community Services.
"These apartments will be a great opportunity for Capuchin Community Services to expand our outreach to the hungry and homeless of Downtown Milwaukee. By providing permanent supportive housing to those who would otherwise be homeless, self-sufficiency will become more than a dream."
The project will be financed with low income housing tax credits and federal and state historic preservation tax credits. Other development partners include the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee, along with funding partners Enterprise Community Investment, US Bank, Zilber Family Foundation, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and Capuchin Community Services.
Heartland Housing has worked on three other developments in the city since 2008, including Maskani Place, 320 E. Center St., Capuchin Apartments, 2502 W. Tamarack St., and Prairie Apartments, 1218 W. Highland Ave.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
