The Opportunity
City-owned land in Eau Claire’s Cannery District sat on the Chippewa River, within walking distance of downtown, employers, restaurants and the farmers market. The opportunity was to pair that location with housing affordable across a wider range of incomes.
The Challenge
Riverfront land carries high expectations and high costs, while the community also needed below-market rents. The project had to reconcile design quality, location and amenities with a layered affordable-housing capital structure.
The Approach
Use mixed-income housing and multiple public and private financing sources to make a high-amenity riverfront location accessible to households across a range of incomes, including units with rental assistance.
The Result
The Eddy is a four-story mixed-income community with river views, a community room, an outdoor patio and grilling area, in-unit high-speed internet, underground parking and direct access to downtown amenities and transit.
Why It Matters
Affordability doesn’t have to mean isolation from opportunity. The Eddy places income-restricted homes in a connected, amenity-rich riverfront district and makes mixed-income housing part of downtown reinvestment.