A Milwaukee apartment development that will target people who don't own cars gains first city approval.
An east-side Milwaukee apartment development that will target people who don't own cars has received its first city approval.
The four-story, 53-unit building planned for the 1500 block of East North Avenue will provide a relatively small number of parking spaces for its residents.
It will take advantage of its location near Milwaukee County Transit System bus stops, a ZipCar car sharing service, a Bublr Bikes share station — and provide two battery-powered Tesla cars for residents to rent on a short-term basis.
The project received conceptual approval Tuesday from the East Side Architectural Review Board.
It will need final approval from that board, as well as variances from the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Approvals.
With those rulings, developers Ryan Pattee and Shar Borg plan to begin work this year, with completion of the apartments and street-level commercial space by spring 2024.
The building isn't providing an underground parking structure because the costs of adding that feature would require the monthly rents, tentatively set at around $1,000, to be higher.
That's partly because digging underground would force the developers to deal with environmental issues from the block's legacy of once being home to two dry cleaners, a gas station and an auto service garage, said Bob Monnat, Mandel Group Inc. senior partner.
Mandel Group owns one of the buildings the developers are acquiring for the project. Monnat is an advisor to the developers.
For apartments residents, the development will include 19 private on-site parking spaces, 11 public spaces on the street and 20 parking spaces available at night at the Small Animal Hospital, 2340 N Newhall St., Pattee said.
A credit union that will be one of the commercial tenants will have its own 21-space parking lot, he said.
The reduced number of parking spaces, and focus on other forms of transportation, is part of a growing national trend encouraged by city planners in Milwaukee and other communities.
Supporters of reduced parking requirements for apartment developments cuts the cost of developing affordable housing.
Also, there are a growing number of younger renters who are environmentally conscious and want to live in a densely populated neighborhood like Milwaukee's east side, according to the developers.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
Subscribe to get the BusinessWatch email newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee apartments targeting carless people win first city approval
