Towering Isthmus: 15-story student housing building to replace former 1950s YMCA facility

 

Headline and rendering:  Wisconsin State Journal, 12/29/2025

Nicole Pollock reports:

An aging building near the UW-Madison campus that long housed a nonprofit provider of homeless services is coming down, and a 15-story student apartment building will soon go up in its place. 

Porchlight Inc., Dane County’s largest provider of housing and services for the homeless, recently moved into a new eight-story facility with office space and 70 studio apartments that developer LZ Ventures, of Madison, built for the nonprofit at the intersection of East Washington Avenue and South Blair Street. 

Now LZ Ventures is demolishing the former Porchlight building at West Johnson and North Brooks street — built in 1952 as a YMCA — and constructing a 189-unit student apartment building at the former Porchlight site at West Johnson and North Brooks streets.

Other Towering Isthmus posts:

2025

Hub student housing development to replace 1960s-era Saxony Apartments.  (10/9)

Student housing high-rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (10/5)

Student housing on West Gorham.  (10/5)

The question remains, "What's up next for the former Madison Central/MATC site?".  (9/19)

One 90 East Wilson.  (9/18)

Bus terminal and student housing on Lake Street.  (7/30)

Student housing on West Gorham.  (7/29)

Student housing high-rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (7/29)

Empty block next to GEF 1 in downtown Madison is next isthmus redevelopment target. (7/11)

One 09 East Wilson.  (6/15)

Bus terminal and student housing on Lake Street in Madison WI.  (5/26)

One 09 East Wilson, (5/7)

Student housing high-rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (5/6)

Student housing on West Gorham.  (5/6)

Verve.  (5/6)

oliv.  (3/12)

Student housing high-rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (1/8)

Student housing on West Gorham.  (3/9)

Student housing on West Gorham.  (1/31)

One 09 East Wilson.  (1/26)

One 09 East Wilson.  (1/9)

Student housing high-rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (1/8)

Bus terminal and student housing under construction on Lake Street.  (1/8)

2024

East Wilson Street luxury housing development.  (8/29)

Bus terminal and student housing under construction on Lake Street.  (9/28)

The Verve August construction site visit.  (8/23)

Cluster of 4 connected buildings to rise at West Johnson and North Bassett. (8/23)

Atmosphere Apartments.  (August 2024 construction site visit).  8/21)

Atmosphere Apartments. (June 2024 construction site visit),  (6/17)

East Wilson Street luxury housing development (June 2024 construction site visit)

Adria mixed-use development as seen from Monona Terrace.  (6/1)

Oliv looms over State Street in Madison WI. (6/1)

Bus terminal and student housing under construction on Lake Street in Madison WI (May 2024 site visit).  (5/31)

Views of Hilton Garden Inn and Atmosphere Madison from top of nearby parking ramp.  (5/13)

Chapter at Madison apartments from above street level.  (5/13)

Embassy Suites at Judge Doyle Square.  (5/5)

Oliv.  (5/3)

The Verve.  (5/1)

Chapter at Madison.  (4/13)

Say goodbye to the Lake Street side of the State Street Campus Garage: March 2024 construction site visit.  (3/10)

12-story apartment building going up behind Kohl Center .  (4/12)

The Verve housing project on Broom Street.  (2/1)

oliv on State Street in Madison WI is heading toward the finish line.  (2/1)

15-story apartment complex to replace demolished Paisan's building on West Wilson Street.  (2/1/2024)

Like another brick in the wall:  2-story State of Wisconsin Investment Board building makes way for 14-story luxury housing development.  (1/31)

12-story apartment building going up behind Kohl Center site visits. (1/31)

10-story mixed-use development at Park and Regent site visits.  (1/30)

Embassy Suites by Hilton nears completion.  (1/30)

12-story apartment building going up behind Kohl Center.  (1/26)

2023

Towering Isthmus:  Cluster of 4 connected buildings to rise at West Johnson and North Bassett.  (11/23)

What's up next for the former Madison Central/MATC site.  (6/19)

The Verve housing project on Broom Street.  (4/29)

Judge Doyle Square hotel project.  (2/9)

145 West Wilson Street.  (2/9)
oliv on State Street.  (2/9)

Verve Living. (1/10)

2022

Developer to transform the Library Mall end of State Street in Madison WI.  (3/27)

2020

Downtown Madison MATC campus proposal.  (2/13)

2019

AC Hotel Madison is open for business.  (11/12)

Keeping tabs on HubbA HubBa and the West Gorham Street canyon.  (4/21)

Uncommon unbranded.  (4/21)

To buutique or not to boutique.  (4/8)

151 East Wilson. (1/4)

2017

East Washington corridor.  (9/12)

Two views of the Lyric Apartments from a sunny East Mifflin vantage point.  (9/12)

2016
The Lux on West Johnson Street.  (10/23)

Another look at Ovation 309.  (10/22)
Capitol's Edge Apartments, the final shots.  (9/16)

2015
The Towers of Porta Bella.  (8/13)
670,000 square foot development risin' on the 800 block of East Washington.  (4/19)

Sleeping and entertainment destination to rise in the middle of this photo.  (1/11)

2014
Cranes at dusk.  (12/11)

The Towering Isthmus: A behemoth hogs the skyline from Bascom Hill.  (12/4)
The Hub, the new hulk in town.  (11/16)
North Bedford Street Project Still in the Proposal Stage.  (11/11)
Blue Velvet.  (9/10)
The New Edgewater Hotel gets ready for its fireworks celebration.  (9/10)
Among the first wave of towers on the Isthmus.  (9/9)
For those of you who haven't stood at the intersection of West Gilman and State Street in Madison Wisconsin lately.  (9/9)
A tree grows on West Gilman Street.  (9/9)
Nobly or otherwise, this is no longer the question.  (9/8)
The towering isthmus (left to right).  (8/27)
The Towering Isthmus (and the 3 cranes): For folks who can afford the view.  (7/22)
That Was Then, This is Now: The 400 Block of West Gilman.  (7/18)
New housing rising.  (5/8)