EAU CLAIRE, WIS. — PACE Loan Group has provided $8 million in C-PACE financing for The Washington, a 200-unit luxury apartment project to be built in Eau Claire, a city in western Wisconsin. The financing fills out the $41 million capital stack, which includes $20 million in debt and $13 million in equity. The three-building project will comprise a former managed care facility and two new ground-up buildings. The 10-acre site is located within two miles of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and numerous healthcare facilities.
The former managed care facility, which originally opened in 1937, will house amenities including a 2,000-square-foot commercial space on the first floor, rooftop deck, fitness center, clubroom, coworking space, media room, yoga studio, outdoor heated pool, dog park and dog washing station. It will also include 53 multifamily units.
One of the new buildings will consist of 87 units; the other will feature 60 units. Both will have fitness centers, clubrooms, media rooms and underground parking. Construction will begin shortly and is slated for completion by September 2025.
The PACE proceeds will be used to finance energy conservation and renewable energy measures. Qualifying projects include building envelope, Energy Star windows, high-efficiency HVAC, domestic hot water system and water fixtures, and LED lighting. The renewable and energy conservation measures are expected to save $367,265 annually in the payback period of 21.8 years.
The PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program is managed by PACE Wisconsin, which authorizes municipalities and counties to work with private sector lenders to provide upfront financing to property owners for qualified projects. The financing is repaid in the form of an assessment on the building owner’s property tax bill over a period of typically 10 to 20 years.