Couleecap development breaks ground in PdC
(Left to right) Paul Gerrard, Gerrard Corporation; Hetti Brown, Couleecap; Chris Jillings, Cinnaire Solutions; Peter Gerrard, Gerrard Corporation; Rebecca Giroux, WHEDA; Justin Birdd, Birdd Construction; Mark Lee, Driftless Development; Jeffrey True, Paramark Real Estate Solutions; Mayor Hemmer, City of Prairie du Chien; Mark Forsythe, Couleecap Board of Directors; George Kruck, Couleecap Board of Directors; and Molly Bohn, Representative for Derrick Van Orden. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
Paul Gerrard addresses the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony for Prairie Cottages.
Prairie Cottages will have 24 affordable housing units on near downtown
On July 24, at 10 a.m., a crowd gathered along Blackhawk Avenue across the street from the Blackhawk Junction Mall. Formerly, the area next to the Blackhawk Apartments was an empty plot.
Now, a strip of gravel and rock led to mounds of dirt and construction equipment alongside a sign for Prairie Cottages, a 24-unit affordable housing development.
Along with representatives from COULEECAP, Mayor David Hemmer, City Administrator Abram and representatives from the Gerrard Corporation, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Driftless Development, Inc. and other partner organizations were present for the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It’s such a wonderful thing to see a community responding to these needs in such a way and partnering with great partners to get this project here,” Rebecca Giroux, community and economic development officer for the WHEDA, said.
Couleecap Executive Director Hetti Brown said, “Every community is unique, and we need to bring housing solutions that reflect that. Prairie Cottages was not only designed to meet housing needs of today, but with thought for tomorrow.”
“Prairie du Chien is an ideal location for housing development. It is a hub for business, healthcare, education, and community organizations. Quality housing that the local workforce, retirees, and other residents can afford is fundamental for the success of the local economy,” said Paul Gerrard, vice president of the Gerrard Corporation. He added that work started on the project in 2021.
Hemmer said, “This is definitely a need in the city. We did a study about six or seven years ago, and housing was at the top of the list. We need more affordable housing, and, hopefully, this is going to make a dent in that.”
The single-story development will include two buildings, each with 12 units, within walking distance from downtown Prairie du Chien. The property will include a community room and patio, garage and private driveway parking, playground, and offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
“All of the apartments will include everything: sewer, water, garbage, internet, heat and all-unit electricity,” Gerard said. The units will include stoves, microwaves, air conditioning units and other furnishings. Gerard said the goal was to make each unit “truly simulate a home.”
“We made units that are well suited for families, but that people can age comfortably in. Our choice to implement solar and heat pumps will improve sustainability. These are intentional decisions,” Brown said.
The cottages will be available to tenants that are at 30, 50 and 70 percent of Crawford County’s median income. The complex is zero-entry to remove housing barriers for the disabled. Other community organizations will work in conjunction with the cottages and Couleecap to make other services available to tenants.
“Every community needs a good mixture of housing, and Couleecap has been a partner with the county to address housing issues, whether that’s been houses for workforce to purchase or apartment units to serve people based on income levels. We know the people we are serving, and we know what people needed because we are already serving these future tenants at our food pantry.”
Funding
“Relationships are so important for housing opportunities for individuals in the future… It’s three years to try and get a project to this level, to stand in front of you and say, ‘We’re here,’” said Gerard. Gerard noted the project had six different funding resources.
According to Brown, the city approached Couleecap about developing the property several years ago; however, the organization did not have the resources to take on a large-scale project at the time.
“We were pretty limited in our capacity just because of the funding sources we could take advantage of, like state grants and so forth,” Brown said. “We could do small-scale development, but for a 24-unit development, the funding sources we could utilize, we could never do something like this.”
Couleecap worked with Gerrard Corporation for consulting and project management services for the project. According to Gerrard, the business has constructed approximately 5,000 units in eight states.
Ashley Lacenski, community development director for Couleecap, said Gerrard either handled or assisted with organizing the project, working with designers and contractors, among many other duties for the Prairie Cottages.
The project received a “highly competitive” state and federal affordable housing tax credit award through the WHEDA.
“This project really marks a key milestone change for Couleecap because this project is the first in which we are leveraging low-income housing tax credits,” said Brown. She added that tax credits enable the organization to serve more people and expand their services. “Tax credits are how projects like this go.”
“That tax credit award is then sold to an investor, which is Cinnaire Solutions, and that’s what generates equity for the project,” Giroux said. The award helped generate more than $2.5 million in equity for the project, and the WHEDA supplied $4.5 million in additional support through long-term and short-term bonds and financing.
Cinnaire, a nonprofit community development agency and long-time partner with the Gerrard Corporation, invested in the project, which makes up approximately 60 percent of the cost equity for the cottages, according to Chris Jillings, senior vice president of business development.
The property will also have a solar array to help pay for utility costs. Couleecap received a grant for the array from Solar for Good in June. A press release from Couleecap stated that the buildings will offer the highest standard of energy savings available through the WI Green Built Home program.
“It’s so important to utilize any possible idea that you can to leverage into a project like this,” said Gerrard. Prairie Cottages is also receiving support from the city of Prairie du Chien, the Wisconsin Department of Administration, the Federal Home Loan Bank Chicago and Focus on Energy.
Going forward
The cottages should be completed in the first quarter of 2025, and tours will start in the spring. Gerard said a dedicated website should launch “in the coming weeks” for further information and to coordinate the application process.
