CDA, Mayor, Alder Bruer, Neighborhood Break Ground on Burr Oaks Senior Housing

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz joined Alder Tim Bruer, the Community Development Authority and neighborhood members to break ground on the Burr Oaks Senior Housing project today. A partnership between the city, WHEDA, Community Development Block Grant, Horizon Development Group and the CDA, the project will provide 50 units of affordable housing for seniors on the city's South Side. "We've worked hard in recent years to revitalize and strengthen Madison's South Side," Mayor Cieslewicz said. "This is an important piece of those efforts and will provide quality, affordable housing for seniors. I want to thank our partners at WHEDA, the CDA, Horizon Development Group and the Burr Oaks Advisory Committee for their hard work on this project. This Continues the South Side renaissance." "This important project is yet another example of the renaissance taking place on the South Side of Madison," Alder Tim Bruer said. "It has truly been decades in the making, and it will give our elders an opportunity for improved quality of life right here on the South Side." Burr Oaks Senior Housing is a 1.4 acre development consisting of a newly-constructed, three-story elevator-serviced building providing 50 units of affordable housing to senior citizens. It will have 33 one- bedroom apartments and 17 two-bedroom apartments. Rents are expected to range from $520 to $700 per month. "As chair of the CDA, I am proud to see substandard housing with a history of crime replaced by quality, affordable housing for seniors that live on the City's South Side," CDA Chair Gregg Shimanski said. "This project will mean a major improvement in quality of life for seniors." "Senior housing has been on our minds since 1996 when the Burr Oaks Neighborhood Association was formed. This is a dream come true," Ruth Ann Bauhs of the Burr Oaks Advisory Committee said. WHEDA has awarded the project $7 million in affordable housing tax credits. The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2011.