Impact Seven held a groundbreaking for Forest Grove Cottages on Odanah Road in Hurley, Wisconsin, a new housing community supported by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). Impact Seven—a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Wisconsin’s only statewide Certified Housing Development Organization (CHDO)—is leading the development to expand affordable rental housing.
The Forest Grove Cottages are part of the Housing Opportunity and Mobile Education Solutions (HOMES) Initiative, a regional effort backed by WHEDA, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), and private partners. Northwood Technical College joined the initiative to strengthen ties between housing and workforce training opportunities across the district. In Hurley, where the last major rental development was built three decades ago, Forest Grove Cottages will provide safe, affordable homes that address a long-standing community need.
Greenfire is managing construction through an open-book approach, weekly Owner–Architect–Contractor coordination, and disciplined preconstruction to align scope, budget, and schedule requirements common to LIHTC projects. Greenfire representatives at the event included Jeb Meier, President; Paul Hackbarth, VP of Construction; Alex Hoffman, Project Manager; and Tim Koch, Superintendent.
The development includes seven buildings totaling 62,800 SF with 40 affordable units in one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts, and each home has a dedicated garage space. A 3,550 SF clubhouse will feature a leasing office, fitness room, dog wash, community room, and classroom. Site improvements include 28 parking stalls at the clubhouse, 18 visitor stalls, a new access road, utilities, sidewalks, stormwater retention basins, and landscaping.
Project partners include Dimension IV Madison Design Group as architect, Coleman Engineering Company for civil engineering, C&S Design & Engineering, Inc. for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, and MP-Squared for structural engineering. Together with Greenfire, the team is coordinating design and construction requirements for efficient delivery of the project.
Forest Grove Cottages will add 40 affordable homes to Hurley, expanding access to housing while reinforcing the HOMES Initiative’s commitment to investing in rural communities.
