Gracelyn Wilson and Howard Snyder, both of the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC) are passionate about something, and that something is Villard Square. Located at the corner of 35th Street and Villard, this multi-use building will house a public library on the first floor, and "grand family" apartments on the upper floors. Grand families will have access to social services, community rooms, laundry facilities, AND a library right on the premises.
What is a grand family, you ask? Well, a grand family is one in which grandparents raise their children's children; in other words, the family "unit" skips a generation. This is not an unusual situation for many Milwaukee families, and, in fact, this building is the first of its kind in Milwaukee (with only two others located in America thus far).
I got to visit the building, and take a gander at two of the actual units. An open and spacious design, the apartments house large picture windows which provide a great view of the city.
