Mixed-Use: Green Housing and Social Enterprise

by Holly Mosher, Belle Farm

My business partner Kathleen had been looking at some land in Wisconsin for over a year when we first spoke about it. The City of Middleton (near Madison) asked Kathleen if we would consider building much-needed housing. I knew that Madison was always on the Best Places to Live lists and that they were growing rapidly compared to the rest of the country. I thought back to what my father always said: “You need to sell things that people need, and people NEED housing.” I also saw so many people struggling with affordability, both in rentals and ownership. So, building housing could be a social enterprise creating housing while also doing so in a green way aligned with our values.

I encouraged Kathleen to visit an intentional community in Georgia called Serenbe. She was struck by the thoughtful land planning and the sense of place — the walkability and the way nature and community were interwoven. We worked closely with their team in order to build something similar in Wisconsin. The result was Belle Farm, a gorgeous walkable neighborhood featuring a wonderful mix of housing, neighborhood amenities, and commercial spaces. With Phil Tabb and the team helping us design the overall layout of the land, a sense of community and flow emerged. Our guiding principles are wellness, sustainability, time outside, camaraderie, presence, respite, and so much joy.

Read Holly's full article and see renderings as this real estate project is now fully underway with single family homes, multi-family units and an apartment complex, all here- https://greenmoney.com/mixed-use-social-enterprise-and-green-housing-at-belle-farm

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