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
Student housing on West Gorham. (10/5)
One 90 East Wilson. (9/18)
Student housing on West Gorham. (7/29)
One 09 East Wilson. (6/15)
Verve. (5/6)
oliv. (3/12)
Student housing on West Gorham. (1/31)
One 09 East Wilson. (1/26)
One 09 East Wilson. (1/9)
2024
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)
Bus terminal and student housing under construction on Lake Street in Madison WI (May 2024 site visit). (5/31)
Oliv. (5/3)
The Verve. (5/1)
Chapter at Madison. (4/13)
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)
2023
Towering Isthmus: Cluster of 4 connected buildings to rise at West Johnson and North Bassett. (11/23)
145 West Wilson Street. (2/9)
oliv on State Street. (2/9)
oliv on State Street. (2/9)
Verve Living. (1/10)
2022
Uncommon unbranded. (4/21)
151 East Wilson. (1/4)
2017
East Washington corridor. (9/12)
2016
The Lux on West Johnson Street. (10/23)
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)
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)
2014
Cranes at dusk. (12/11)
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)
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)
