In other words, the parish exchanged the land for a newly rebuilt church. With a condition: the agreement that Capri would sell the new church back to the archdiocese for the same amount. The sale included the old church, school, and convent for a price of $1. Capri felt this would create a stronger sense of community for the residents (many of whom are longstanding parish members) and the rest of the parish. The idea was to rebuild the church and connect it to a new senior living project. ![]() The site also is adjacent to a future expansion of the city’s downtown streetcar.Īdditionally, intergenerational connections were already built in, thanks to a nearby park and school, says Eric Harrmann, chief design officer at AG Architecture (Wauwatosa, Wis.), the architecture firm on the project. The location was within a revitalized area of downtown Milwaukee that’s highly walkable. At the time, existing communities served either affluent or low-income residents. His thought was that it might provide an avenue for saving the church.įrom an industry viewpoint, Capri saw an opportunity for a middle-market senior housing option for the area, Tarantino says. Personally motivated to help protect the area’s Italian culture and this sacred space, Tarantino began evaluating whether the neighborhood had an unmet need for senior housing. “The parish was considering a proposal to sell the property to a nonprofit, faith-based developer whose plan was to raze the church to make room for their development.” Vision for middle-market senior housing ![]() “Prior to Capri’s involvement, the future of the church was not certain,” he says. In 2016, Jim Tarantino, a longstanding member of the church and the founder and principal of Capri Communities (Waukesha, Wis.), which operates senior living campuses across Southern Wisconsin, began discussions with the archdiocese about the church’s preservation. Over the years, the church, along with a long-vacant school and adjoined convent, had fallen into disrepair. Rita Church has stood in Milwaukee’s Lower East side since the 1930s, serving as a heart of the local Italian American community.
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