With the start of construction this fall, the Reynolds Property at 600 East Mifflin Street will begin its transformation into Courtyard Square. Upon completion of work in May of 2000, Courtyard Square, developed by Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development and designed by Glueck Architects, will be the location of 23 new housings units.

In a telephone conversation with David Porterfield, Project Manager for WPHD, he reported that the 23 housing units will consist of 4 townhouses and 19 flats. Eight units will be one-bedroom units and the remaining fifteen units will be two-bedroom. The townhouses will be 1275 square feet in area and the flats will range from 750-975 square feet.

When asked about the pricing of the units, Mr. Porterfield stated that his firm had made an effort to base their pricing on the median neighborhood house value of $103,000 and a median neighborhood income of $38,000. As of this time, the units are expected to sell for approximately $110,000. Mr. Porterfield said that since there is a real shortage of available housing units in the median house value range, their project should do much to fill that need. In addition to the affordable price, WPHD will be working with Movin' Out on providing down payment assistance on 11 of the 23 units with six being sold to people with disabilities.

Mr. Porterfield described Courtyard Square as a housing development designed in a style compatible with the surrounding neighborhood structures. Buildings will be of a Victorian style, two stories in height with front porches and lap siding. He said that there will be on-site garage space for 14 vehicles and surface parking for 14 more.

In talking about the plans for the project, Mr. Porterfield emphasized that they were making a significant effort to tailor a project to the neighborhood. He stated that they chose to work with Movin' Out on ownership counseling and downpayment assistance to target home ownership for existing neighborhood residents whenever possible. Mr. Porterfield said that anyone with questions about reserving a unit in Courtyard Square should call him at 258-5560.

-David Mandehr