Pewaukee may get senior housing project

Ex-church site seen for 200-unit development

A company that operates senior housing communities throughout the Milwaukee area is considering plans for a larger development in the Village of Pewaukee.

Capri Senior Communities has conceptual plans for a development with about 200 housing units at the site of the former Queen of Apostles Catholic School and the neighboring Agape Church, said Wayne Wiertzema, senior vice president of development.

The school, 449 W. Wisconsin Ave., closed in 2016 because of declining enrollment.

Agape Church rents the church from the Queen of Apostles Congregation, which operates its church at N35 W23360 Capitol Drive.

Demolishing the church and school would create a 16-acre development site, Wiertzema said.

Capri and its affiliated firm, Tarantino & Co., have preliminary plans to develop buildings, ranging from one to four stories, Wiertzema said.

The campus setting would provide housing options, he said, including apartments for seniors who can live independently.

Other options would include assisted living apartments, as well as housing for seniors who need memory care.

Wietzema’s initial appearance before the village Plan Commission drew “generally supportive” feedback about the possible development, he said.

Capri plans to create more detailed plans, which the commission would review this spring, Wiertzema said.

The former school is surrounded by a residential neighborhood, and commission members want to know more about how the project would affect traffic patterns, he said.

“We want to be sensitive to the neighbors,” Wiertzema said.

Waukesha-based Capri’s current projects include the 226-unit Grace Commons, under construction in Menomonee Falls, and the 118-unit St. Rita’s Square, which is being developed on Milwaukee’s east side.