$21M Vets Place Center expansion starts in Milwaukee

Expansion of a transition center for homeless veterans officially kicked off in Milwaukee.

The Center for Veterans Issues and The Alexander Company on Thursday broke ground on an expansion and renovation of CVI’s support facility at 3330 W. Wells St. The center will get a 53,000-square-foot expansion, bump its total units up to 81 and offer indoor and outdoor community spaces. The project was boosted by public funding sources, including a lineup of developers and development partners.

Milwaukee-based Kelly Construction & Design is the general contractor for the $21 million project. The contractor worked with Galbraith Carnahan Architects to design the addition. Demolition work started in August and the project is expected to be complete in the last quarter of 2025. Project partners said they had been planning facility expansion since 2022.

“We’re excited about the positive impact this renovated and expanded facility will have on our veterans,” said John Cornell, chair of the CVI Board of Directors, at a news conference. “This project could not have happened without the work of some amazing people and companies,” he added.

CVI will launch a capital campaign for $1.1 million to furnish the project after completion Cornell noted.

The facility serves as a “critical bridge” between emergency shelter and permanent housing, said Birdie Cowser, the vice president of housing and development for CVI.

“This expansion is more than just a building, it’s about continuing and enhancing a vital mission that began decades ago,” Cowser said. “We’re honoring the original version of addressing veteran challenges while adapting to meet current and future needs,” she added.

The project calls for a four-story, U-shaped building on the north side of the facility. There will be a total of 81 units, including 51 new units and expansion of the remaining 30 units, said Jonathan Beck, a development project manager for The Alexander Company.

The three-story building was originally built in 1954 and housed up to 74 guests who often had to double up in their rooms. After renovations they will each get their own rooms with bathrooms, said Andrew Ziebell, a project manager with Kelly Construction & Design. Kitchens and dining areas will be available elsewhere in the building.

Sixty-eight rooms will remain for veterans to live in for up to two years and the remaining 13 rooms will be used for long-term housing, project officials said.

The expanded facility will include a club room with events spaces, a fitness center and a dining space on the first floor, project officials said. The building will also offer wraparound services such as case management, education and training programs and access to medical and mental health care.

The project is supported by 85% public and 15% private financing, project officials said. Funding sources include federal low-income housing tax credits, a federal home loan bank, a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a Greater Milwaukee Foundation grant, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority Trust Fund and a HOME Depot Foundation grant.

In attendance at Thursday’s groundbreaking were Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball and Alderman Robert Bauman, who represents Milwaukee’s 4th District.