Design, technology set Sage on Prospect apart

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Dominion Properties took on the daunting task last year of turning a former nursing home into a modern, “green” apartment building. The end result — Sage on Prospect — has received the U.S. Green Building Council LEED’s Platinum Certification.

“Upcycling” the building at 1825 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, wasn’t necessarily easy. But the project was worth all the trouble, said Mike O’Connor, chairman and founder of Dominion Properties in Milwaukee.

“More people are interested in smart, green living …” he said. “It’s a holistic building.”

The general contractor on the project — New Berlin-based Venture Construction Group — removed one floor of the existing four-story building and then added two floors, meaning there is now a total of five stories. The original structure was kept; its interior completely gutted. Crews removed asbestos and lead and replaced windows.

An innovative heating-and-cooling system — one that uses heat-exchange wells — not only made Sage on Prospect more “green,” it also provided savings to residents, O’Connor said. Crews drilled 24, 400-foot deep heat-exchange wells that provide efficient cooling and heating for the building, he said. Each unit also includes a quiet, efficient heat pump.

“We are able to heat and cool this building very efficiently so we include that in the apartment rent, which customers like,” O’Connor said. “We also utilize a photovoltaic system on the roof to generate electricity that offsets the building’s electricity costs. We incorporate that and high-speed Internet in the rent as well. It provides residents with one less thing to worry about.”

The apartment also has what is believed to be the first “blue roof” on a residential building in Wisconsin, O’Connor said. This particular roof makes use of a detention-pond area that can hold water for up to 12 hours before releasing it.

“That means when there is a significant rain event, we are giving the rest of the system a break by not adding to it and causing overflows,” he said.

Sage on Prospect is the second market-rate property in Wisconsin to receive LEED Platinum status; Dominion Properties’ Sage on Jackson in Milwaukee’s East Pointe neighborhood is the other.

“We used a lot of innovative technologies and design in Sage on Prospect that required less energy, a smaller carbon footprint and produced less waste,” O’Connor said. “But at the same time, we were able to provide residents with modern amenities and a relaxing lifestyle.”