Wauwatosa Apartments For Adults With Disabilities Proposed

WAUWATOSA, WI—The development team of Bethesda Cornerstone Village and Cardinal Capital Management are proposing to convert the Blanchard Street parking lot, 1330 Wauwatosa Ave., into a mixed-income, mixed-use community consisting of 79 apartment homes and commercial use at street level.

"Cornerstone Village will unite a rich tapestry of people – working professionals, empty nesters and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities – through carefully designed common spaces and intentional resident life programming," the proposal said.

The $23 million development proposal includes creating a building with five stories that border Wauwatosa Avenue and Blanchard Street. The building will include covered parking which will be reserved for resident and public use.

The residential community will consist of 5 studios, 44 one-bedrooms, 3 one-bedrooms with a den, and twenty-seven 27 two-bedroom apartments. Sixteen (20% of the total) of the units will be set aside for adults with developmental disabilities.

All of the Set-Aside Units will be offered at an affordable rate consistent with rent restrictions published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to the proposal.

Supporting people with disabilities

Bethesda’s and Cardinal’s goal with this development is to serve adults with I/DD who already reside in or near Wauwatosa. Bethesda estimates that approximately 230 adults with I/DD live in the City of Wauwatosa, the proposal said.

Bethesda supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community-based group homes, host homes and through family caregiver programs.

"We help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities make choices about where they live, who they live with, and how they spend their time," the proposal said.

More information

The city issued a request for proposals last year for the site, known as the Blanchard Street parking lot. The Wauwatosa Community Development Authority will review the proposals. Other proposals include:

• Barrett Lo Visionary Development - Blanc (narrative and visual presentation)
• Bethesda Cornerstone Village and Cardinal Capital Management - Cornerstone Village
• Mandel Group - Harlow & Hem
• Palisade Property - Blanchard Street Apartments