Bronzeville arts and tech hub progresses in Milwaukee

Construction of a technology and arts hub is moving forward near North Sixth Street and West North Avenue in Milwaukee.

Crews lifted lumber to the fourth floor of apartments at the Bronzeville Creative Arts & Tech Hub, a development led by Milwaukee-based FIT Investment Group and Lutheran Social Services. The incubator will introduce 60 mixed-income apartments and a 29,000-square-foot creative industry center to the Bronzeville neighborhood.

The project includes 48 affordable and 12 market rate apartments. The development, listed as a $28.7 million project, has a four-story residential portion and a commercial portion built over several vacant lots and buildings.

The commercial space will be used by entrepreneurs, startups and content creators and includes studios, coworking space, a café, music and arts performance spaces and places to meet mentors, developer plans showed. Potential users range from fashion designers to programmers.

In mid-2024, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee approved a $700,000 tax increment financing district for FIT Investment’s project. The developer-funded TID ha a 7% interest rate and a 19-year term. The project is also supported by a RACM grant meant for cleaning up brownfields.

Art and tech hub construction used lower income housing tax credits, HOME and Housing Trust Funds, a federal home loan bank and a Green Infrastructure Grant. The project was also supported with Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority housing tax credits.

The project was scheduled to start in spring 2024. Since then, elevator shafts have been built and masonry for the commercial section and lumber for the apartments have been erected. The developer expects construction to be completed in winter 2025.

The Bronzeville Creative Arts & Tech Hub used the city’s Small Business Enterprise and Residents Preference Program for contracting and labor. Of the apartments, 20% of units will be held for those living in the 53212 zip code to prevent displacement.

The building team includes Skyrise Construction Group and KGI Construction Group, both based in Richfield. Emem Group and Engberg Anderson Architects are also project partners.