LZ Porchlight Redevelopment

Our team built a new facility for Porchlight, an eight-story building located at the corner of East Washington Avenue and Blair Street in downtown Madison. Porchlight’s former facility at 306 N. Brooks Street, originally built in 1952, could no longer meet the needs of its residents, creating an opportunity for LZ and JP Cullen to deliver a transformational project. The new space provides Porchlight with permanent supportive housing, administrative offices, and direct access to public transportation, healthcare, grocery stores, and other essential services for residents.

Throughout construction, our self-performed trades were on display in many aspects of this project including concrete structure, metal and drywall, and prefabricated exterior panels. This allowed for great control over scheduling and coordination, which added to the efficiency of the construction process. With the location being downtown, detailed planning and execution was put into place, while also meeting the needs of surrounding businesses and residents.

This facility is more than just another construction project; it is an investment in the future for the Madison community. The building will not only support housing but help strengthen ongoing efforts made to reduce homelessness throughout Dane County, helping to reiterate Porchlight’s mission while highlighting our commitment to building spaces that support the communities we serve.

Following Porchlight’s relocation, we demolished the former property and began construction of Luminary, a 15-story student housing development that will bring 512 bedrooms to the heart of campus. Together, these projects demonstrate how thoughtful development can address multiple community needs at once – expanding supportive housing, increasing student housing, and creating lasting benefits for Madison residents.