Milwaukee County allocates $2M toward Concordia 27 project
CFI will be one of the tenants of the community center with a 12,000-square-foot production kitchen
MILWAUKEE (Nov. 15, 2023) – Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed the 2024 Adopted Budget as passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors during a ceremony Nov. 15 at the construction site for Concordia 27.
“It is a new day in Milwaukee County. By deploying tax revenue generating tools and maintaining our track record of thoughtful, fiscally responsible budgeting, we have the opportunity to invest in our community that will benefit residents, families, and neighborhoods for many years to come,” Crowley said. “While our fiscal challenges are not behind us and future budgets will require innovative, creative solutions, I am looking forward to signing the 2024 Adopted Budget approved by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors that enhances services and invests in our community.”
As part of the budget, the county is allocating $2 million toward Concordia 27, a vacant four-story building on the northwest corner of 27th and Wells Streets into a $16 million community center on Milwaukee’s Near West Side.
Concordia 27, 2724 W. Wells St., will include 30 affordable housing units for seniors and families; community gathering space; commercial spaces for nonprofits; a commercial, demonstration and incubator kitchen; and daily affordable meals for more than 1,000 residents; and school meals for more than 15,000 low-income students at 106 schools in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha to combat food insecurity.
CFI will be one of the tenants of the community center with a 12,000-square-foot production kitchen aimed to aid in job development training as well as providing more than 20,000 healthy meals daily to families throughout the region.
“This 12,000-square-foot kitchen is going to allow us to expand our partnership all across the Greater Milwaukee area with the intention of creating access to fresh and healthy meals, especially for kids who may not have as many resources,” said Heidi Chada, VP of Employment and Community Services at CFI.
She added, “It took every single partner to make this happen, but if the county hadn’t committed these funds to make sure the housing component is viable we would definitely have some challenges. We’re very thankful for that commitment.”
Earlier in the project, the State of Wisconsin pledged $5 million to support construction.
Watch the video below to learn more about the project and the county’s announcement.