Community leaders, partners, and residents gathered this week at 318 N Superior Avenue to celebrate the groundbreaking of Aurora Place, a transformative affordable housing development that will bring 40 newly constructed, energy-efficient cottage-style homes to Washburn, Wisconsin.
This visionary project is a partnership between Cinnaire Solutions, the City of Washburn, and Bayfield County, and aims to address the pressing need for affordable housing for the region’s workforce and seniors.
Upon completion, Aurora Place will include a community-building and high-quality, cottage-style homes thoughtfully designed to support community connection, sustainability, and long-term affordability. Leasing is expected to begin in late 2025, with Impact Management Group providing property management services.
“This groundbreaking marks an exciting new chapter for the City of Washburn and Bayfield County,” said Nicole Solheim, Senior Vice President at Cinnaire Solutions. “This project is the result of strong local partnerships and a shared focus on increasing access to affordable housing. We’re proud to stand with our partners to make this vision a reality.”
“We know that affordable housing is more than just having four walls and a roof over your head. Affordable housing means that more Wisconsinites, including seniors, can live in the communities they love. More workers can live close to good-paying jobs and support their local economies. And more families can plant roots in Wisconsin communities – big and small – to help them grow for the future,” said US Senator Tommy Baldwin.“That’s why I was proud to secure $1 million in direct federal support for Bayfield County to address their housing shortage and grow for the future.”
Speakers at celebrating the event included state and local leaders along with the development team:
- Mayor Mary Motiff, City of Washburn
- Jeff Olsen, Bayfield County Supervisor
- U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
- Mai Xiong, Community & Economic Development Officer, WHEDA
- Mark Abeles-Allison, Bayfield County Administrator
- Nicole Solheim, Cinnaire Solutions
- Kelly Westlund, Bayfield County Deputy Administrator
The development is supported by a group of funding partners, including the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Bayfield County, the City of Washburn, State of Wisconsin Department of Administration, Associated Bank, Cinnaire, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
“The Aurora Place Cottages will give more families in the Washburn area the sense of stability and opportunity to thrive that they deserve,” said Elmer Moore, Jr., CEO and Executive Director of WHEDA. “WHEDA is honored to help make this happen as part of our Rural Workforce Housing Initiative.”
The design and construction of Aurora Place is led by ISG Inc. and Borton Construction, who bring a deep commitment to building sustainable and community-centered developments.
“The Bayfield County Board of Supervisors has identified housing as a top priority,” said Mark Abeles-Allison, Bayfield County Administrator. “Thanks to our partnership with Cinnaire and the City of Washburn, Aurora Place will transform once-vacant county land into quality, affordable homes for our residents.”
As the region continues to grow, Aurora Place will help meet the critical need for affordable housing and support local economic stability by creating opportunities for workers and families to live and work in their communities.
