The Walnut extends revitalization of Milwaukee’s northwest side

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The Walnut at Westlawn Gardens is the culmination of an ongoing renaissance on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The modern apartment building is bringing new life to the Westlawn neighborhood and its residents.

The Walnut is the newest midrise built as part of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s Westlawn neighborhood, which was once Wisconsin’s largest public-housing development.

HACM worked with the the development outfit Travaux and Eppstein Uhen Architects to ensure affordable housing is on offer in the neighborhood, while also providing opportunities for historically disadvantaged businesses to grow.

Travaux demolished three distressed buildings to make space for the 50,665-square-foot building. Low-income-housing tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority primarily paid for the nearly $11.7 million project.

“I think that the thing we’re most proud of at Travaux is putting a building of that quality in design and construction on the street and available to people with modest incomes,” said Warren Jones, vice president of construction at Travaux. “It’s a testament to (our teams) to put a tax-credit building together like that.”

The Walnut’s three stories house 26 one-bedroom and 21 two-bedroom apartments to accommodate a variety of residents. Each unit has a high-efficiency heating and cooling system controlled by tenants, and the building as a whole has a LEED Silver rating.

Scott Kindness, living environments studio director and principal at EUA, said The Walnut’s design departed from those old, barrack-style buildings and instead stressed comfort and dignity for residents.

The designs took a campus approach to encourage residents to visit other buildings and eliminate redundant space. Freeing up some room allowed for the construction of large, comfortable units.

“The units are designed the way people like to live,” Kindness said. “We put the emphasis on where people like to spend the majority of their waking hours.”

The Walnut also has a large commercial space in the building’s northeast corner, serving as another common space for residents and bringing a new business to West Silver Spring Drive.

“It’s been special to see the amazing transformation,” Kindness said. “It’s impactful on the larger context of the neighborhood.”