Wauwatosa is clearing out a pair of aging office buildings on North Mayfair Road to make way for 92 new apartments across from Blue Mound Golf & Country Club, after the Common Council signed off on a new tax‑increment financing district Tuesday night. The roughly 1.7 acre site will be converted into market‑rate housing with a mix of studios up to three‑bedroom units and about 110 parking spaces.
As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cream City Real Estate Investments is behind the project, branded as Latitude 43, at 2825 and 2835 N. Mayfair Rd. Instead of reserving on‑site affordable units, the developer agreed to a one‑time $100,000 payment into the city’s affordable housing fund.
Project details
City materials describe Tax Increment District 17 as a blighted area of about 1.7 acres that will be rebuilt as a five‑story apartment building with 92 market‑rate units. Plans call for a fitness center, outdoor courtyard, club room and electric vehicle charging stations. Parking would total 110 stalls, including 51 structured spaces for residents and 59 surface stalls for residents and visitors, according to the city’s project plan.
Design and developer
Cream City Real Estate’s project page says the five‑story building will feature in‑unit washers and dryers, oversized windows, secure parking and common areas aimed at encouraging residents to socialize. The site lists Galbraith Carnahan as the architect. The developer pitches the address as walkable to Mayfair district shops and transit, positioning Latitude 43 for young professionals and families, according to Cream City Real Estate Investments.
Financing
The city’s term sheet and feasibility analysis outline total project costs of about $5.04 million and an estimated $2.85 million in pay‑as‑you‑go development incentives delivered through a municipal revenue obligation that will be repaid from future tax increment. The economic projections indicate the district is expected to generate roughly $19.6 million in new taxable value by the end of 2027, which city officials cite as the rationale for using this pay‑as‑you‑go structure, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Timeline and disruption
City filings show construction staging will bring lane and sidewalk disruptions along Mayfair Road starting in July 2026 and running through June 2027, with overall construction expected to wrap around July 2027. A three‑phase staging plan detailed in public works materials would shift pedestrians into a temporary four‑foot path when sidewalks are closed and at times restrict southbound traffic on Mayfair Road. The schedule and staging plan appear in City of Wauwatosa records.
What’s next
With the Common Council vote recorded May 19, city staff will now finalize a development agreement and related documents, including the municipal revenue obligation that ties developer reimbursements to future tax‑increment growth. Officials say the deal is intended to eliminate blight at the site, broaden the local tax base and add more market‑rate housing options in the Mayfair corridor.
