Walnut Street Flats
Project Scope: New apartment complex
Location: Reedsburg, Wisconsin
Designer: ASK Studio
The need for affordable workforce housing is nearly universal across the state of Wisconsin. Because of the limited amount of state resources available, these projects compete against one another for funding and require extensive work with the community that they are submitted for and require extensive community support. A great example of this effort is the Walnut Street Flats project in Reedsburg.
The Friede team was contacted by an old acquaintance in Brian Sweeney, Development Director for Cohen-Esrey, to see if we were interested in building the 33-unit facility. In 2018, reviews of the preliminary architectural plans began and by March it was apparent that the project was significantly over budget and would require extensive value engineering to proceed. Along the way, the project team considered and priced literally dozens of exterior options and ultimately decided that because of the incredibly tight site, the walls would need to be panelized off-site and brought in to be installed.
Wall and roof construction continued throughout the winter and the two buildings took shape by early spring. As summer arrived, our full attention was on the interior buildout and finishes. Friede staff also handled the exterior siding as the mix of brick and exterior insulation and finishing system (EIFS) changed late in the project. Despite record flooding in the area, the 16-month project was completed at the end of December, and an official (virtual) ribbon-cutting was held on March 31, 2020. This complex brings much-needed workforce housing to the heart of Reedsburg, located just one block from Main Street and within walking distance of schools, the public library, shops, restaurants, and “The 400” state bike trail.
This project was recognized by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin as a 2020 Silver Project of Distinction.