The Medical College of Wisconsin has broken ground on its first on-campus student housing development at the southeast corner of Watertown Plank Road and 87th Street, bringing students a long-requested amenity that’s expected to open in spring 2028.
MCW leaders and officials including Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride, State Rep. Robin Vining, Common Council President Joe Phillips and Alderman Mike “Indy” Stluka gathered at the construction site July 28 for a groundbreaking ceremony where the college unveiled the development’s name.
Known as the Trailmark at MCW, the four-story apartment complex will include 266 units, gathering spaces and underground parking for the building’s residents. The project was designed by AG Architecture and J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. is the construction manager. Sigma Group oversees as environmental engineer, and General Capital Group is the college’s development partner.
Many of the roughly 2,000 students enrolled at MCW come from out of state or different countries and expect to find affordable housing close by campus to make their rigorous school routines a little easier, said Matthew Lester, the Medical College of Wisconsin’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The Trailmark at MCW will include primarily one- and two-bedroom apartments, reflecting the needs expressed by surveyed graduate students, Lester said. Rents aren’t set yet, but the college aims to keep the cost below the average price of rent in the community. Rent Cafe estimates the average monthly rent for an apartment in Wauwatosa in 2026 is $1,674.
Other developers like Samapa Group LLC have made strides to meet students’ affordable housing needs with nearby housing like the Watertown apartments and their upcoming plan to turn the Sonesta Hotel into affordable housing. The Trailmark at MCW, however, is the first housing option that will actually be on campus and primarily financed by the medical college.
“Between long hours studying, training, caring for patients, and traveling to and from campus at all hours, having housing so closely connected to campus and to one another will be an incredible resource,” Kira Brenner, an MCW student, told those gathered for the groundbreaking event.
Brenner is most excited for the development’s opportunity to bring together students across programs – those studying to become physicians, pharmacists, scientists and other healthcare professionals could form valuable friendships as neighbors who would support them through their studies and career pursuits, she said.
Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the event that he believes the Trailmark at MCW will attract more students who otherwise couldn’t afford to live in Wauwatosa. Like other communities in Wisconsin, Wauwatosa needs more affordable housing, according to a 2023 city housing study.
The development will also help the city’s greater goal of delivering more housing to those who work in the city, McBride said. Around 92% of people who work in Wauwatosa don’t live in the city, McBride said.
Bridget Fogarty covers Brookfield, Wauwatosa and Elm Grove for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be contacted at bfogarty@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Medical College of Wisconsin getting first on-campus student housing
Reporting by Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
