ELLSWORTH — An Ellsworth Community Development Authority (CDA) meeting brought in three developers to present site development proposals for the old junior high site Thursday, with the community development authority deciding to take in the information and return July 31 to potentially make a decision.

The three developers each proposed units for rent, but they had plenty of differences.

WHPC

Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp. (WHPC) out of Madison presented a site with 50 apartments divided into three buildings. The proposal was for a mixed-income development that would have one, two and three-bedroom units. WHPC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, making it exempt from federal income tax.

“Our mission is to preserve, provide and protect affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families living in the state of Wisconsin,” WHPC’s website states.

Other projects the developer has done in the past include Prairie Haus in New Glarus, Rise Madison in Madison and The Trotta in Middleton.

As are the other two developers, WHPC is asking for the land to be donated to them from the village. WHPC would make a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) payment of $26,000 per year to the village.

WHPC’s presenters used the term “workforce housing” multiple times to refer to the income range they would be serving under their development, which they said targets the “missing middle class.”

When it came time for the public to speak, one resident said providing low-income housing can draw a “different crowd to the area that isn’t here now.” Paul Bauer, a member of the CDA, said calling the proposal a low-income development is a mischaracterization, as it is a mixed-use development.

“You are characterizing it as low-income, and that’s not fair representation,” Bauer said.

A second point brought up during public comment was that the peak of the proposal is three stories, which WHPC representatives said could lead to a peak height of 35-40 feet. Concerns of the height of the structure and the townhome style of some of the development were brought up.

Gerrard

Gerrard Corporation of La Crosse proposed senior apartments for people 55 and older. The proposal was for a two-story building with 40-48 one- or two-bedroom apartments. There would be some units set aside for disabled veterans.

Paul Gerrard shared the reasons senior housing can benefit the community, including creating a housing availability for younger families looking to buy a home.

“Why a senior project? It fits into this neighborhood much nicer,” Gerrard said. “It also identifies and assists and helps establish some of the older portfolio that these individuals would be moving out of, making those homes available for younger families.”

Other sites from the developer include 1300 Residences in River Falls, Dakota Meadows in New Richmond and Beebe Lofts in New Richmond. According to Gerrard, Gerrard Corporation has the largest portfolio of units in St. Croix and Pierce counties.

This site would use geothermal heating and cooling and solar for electricity. Gerrard Corporation has experience with both of those systems, as they have an apartment complex in the works at Crossing Meadows in Ellsworth that would operate on the same systems.

While some of the public in attendance had concerns over the color of the buildings not fitting the area, Gerrard said the village board would have the opportunity to select colors under the proposal.

Gerrard would apply for state tax credit for their development, with a 4% state tax credit generating a $60,000 payment to the village that increases 2% each year or a 9% state tax credit generating a $80,000 tax payment.

C&E Wurzer

C&E Wurzer of Eau Claire and Hudson proposed two two-story, 12-unit buildings, a pair of twin homes and a single-family home. The developer originally planned for a third building accounting for five units but replaced it with a trio of homes.

“It’s not very different from the unit number, but it’s very different from the amount of green space we can incorporate into the development,” Todd Olin of Land & Resource Consulting, who presented the project, said.

Other sites from the developer are Prairie View Ridge and Bartlett Crossing, both in Altoona.

The developers were looking to incorporate more green space and trees in their proposal to fit the residences in the area.

The facility would be approximately 35 feet in height, coming close to the WHPC estimate that raised concern.

The C&E Wurzer proposal would be privately financed, with the land being donated from the village. They proposed $50,000 payments for approximately three years to cover the village’s investments in demolition of the previous site.

“That would get us to the point where the TIF that we are going to request would kick in,” Olin said.

A concern shared by one resident was that the projected selling prices of the twin homes at $350,000 and the single-family home at $425,000. Olin said they look at the selling prices of similar homes in the area, and, because they would be new builds, the prices may be higher than other houses in the area.

CDA Discussions

Two of the focuses the CDA had when raising questions to the three developers were tax implications and whether there would be issues with the water mains distributing water to the area.

According to village documents, the village must ensure the selected development generates the tax increment necessary to pay for the demolition of the old junior high that was financed with tax increment. The village purchased the site in 2022 and demolished the building earlier this year.

“Recent community surveys indicate a strong desire for increased housing availability and diversity, with 65% of respondents emphasizing the importance of expanding housing options to accommodate various income levels and housing types, such as single-family, multi-family, and senior housing,” village documents state.

With water line work going on as part of the improvement projects in the area and the potential for a major development creating possible problems for water flow to residents of the complex and the nearby area, members of the CDA wanted to wait for Public Works Director Bradley Vick to be in attendance to get more information before a full approval.

With all three proposals, attendees shared their value on making sure the development fits into the community both from an optics standpoint and ensuring the development is properly planned to avoid issues brought on from placing a larger population hub in one area.