WHEDA, Gorman & Co, Milwaukee Urban League to Honor Late Civil Rights Leader Dr. Wesley Scott at Project Opening

Senior Living Community touted as catalytic project for Metcalfe Park neighborhood
Madison, May 11, 2007

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA®) Executive Director Antonio Riley will join local leaders in Milwaukee on Friday, May 11 at 11 a.m. at the grand opening of the Dr. Wesley Scott Senior Living Community, 2800 W. Wright Street. The event includes the unveiling of a bust especially created in the likeness of the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Wesley Scott.

“This was the perfect project for WHEDA to play a significant role,” said Riley. “Here we have met a housing need for the area’s low income seniors, and we were able to do so in a neighborhood that is hungry for good development with some powerful partners. This is a great tribute to the legacy of Dr. Wesley Scott.”

In 2005 and 2006, WHEDA provided $8.3 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits to Gorman & Company and the Milwaukee Urban League to renovate the former Urban League headquarters and to build an additional wing, creating 74 units of affordable apartments for low to moderate income seniors.

Residents have access to excellent amenities that include a community club room, business and computer center, fitness center, nurses’ station, salon, chapel, on-site management, storage lockers, underground parking, and a community lounge and balcony on each floor.

Named for the late president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League during a tumultuous time in Milwaukee’s history, the Dr. Wesley Scott Senior Living Community embraces the history of the community while looking toward the future. Dr. Scott’s family will be in attendance for the building dedication, including the unveiling of a commissioned bronze sculpture of the late civil rights leader.

“I spoke with Dr. Scott several days before his passing,” said Ralph Hollmon, current president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League. “He was very proud that this community will serve as a testament to his legacy.”

This development is the first of a number of efforts by the Gorman/Urban League team, which recently closed financing on the Metcalfe Park Homes Ownership Initiative, a 30-unit, single family, lease to purchase program, which should begin construction in the next several weeks. WHEDA is providing $5.7 million in affordable housing tax credits and financing for this development as well.

Gorman & Company Wisconsin Market President Christopher Laurent said, “We are very excited with the changes we’re already seeing in Metcalfe Park. People are beginning to become very optimistic about the future of the neighborhood. It’s a privilege to work with so many bright and dedicated groups and individuals who are looking to make their world better and stronger.”

WHEDA is an independent state authority that works with lenders to provide low-cost financing for housing and small business development in Wisconsin.  For more information on WHEDA's housing programs, call 1-800-334-6873 or visit WHEDA’s website www.wheda.com.

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