Conversion of Milwaukee's former historic Soldiers Home into veterans housing lands final financing source

Tom Daykin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Work to convert Old Main and other buildings at Milwaukee's historic Soldiers Home grounds is to begin soon.

The long-planned conversion of Milwaukee's historic former Soliders Home into veterans housing has received one of its last remaining financing sources — setting the stage for renovations to begin.

Madison-based Alexander Co. plans to redevelop historic buildings on or near Mitchell Boulevard, between I-94 and West National Avenue.

Those buildings are on the grounds of the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Most of the work will be at Old Main, the original Soldiers Home that opened in 1869. It initially housed Civil War veterans and was home to generations of other vets before closing in 1989.

Old Main, the largest of the historic buildings, will be converted into 80 one- or two-bedroom apartments.

It will include community rooms, a fitness center and offices for home health care, counseling services and building management.

The former Administration Building, just south of Old Main, will be converted into housing for 14 veterans who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, and their families, according to Alexander Co.

That building will include common kitchen, dining and living rooms for the building's residents. There also will be space for support services for the residents.

Finally, three duplexes and a single-family home on the grounds will be restored for veterans housing.

The $43.8 million project's financing includes $19.6 million from federal affordable housing tax credits and $13.5 million from state and federal historic preservation tax credits.

Other funds are coming from other federal, state and city sources, as well as grants and individual donations.

On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit lender, approved a $547,000 loan to help complete that financing package.

With that approval, work is expected to begin this fall.

The Soldiers Home grounds were declared a national historic landmark by the National Park Service in 2011.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has the buildings on its list of most endangered historic places.

Budget constraints in recent years have made it difficult for the Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain Old Main, and it has fallen into disrepair.

The Milwaukee Soldiers Home is one of the nation's three original Soldiers Homes. 

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.