The proposal from Canada-based developer RFA would transform the existing three-story UW Health administrative building into four buildings, each four to five stories tall. Plans also include a new east-west road through the property, about 2,000 square feet of commercial space and roughly 750 parking stalls, more than 500 of them underground.

RFA expects construction to start in fall 2027, with the project scheduled for completion in spring 2029. UW Health’s lease on the roughly 100,000-square-foot office building expires next August. The health system has said it no longer needs the space in part because of increased remote work and shared offices.

“Given the building's age and the state of the existing office market, with large pockets of vacancy waiting to be back filled, we've determined that the best use of this property is to repurpose the site as a mixed-use residential and commercial development,” said Steven Murphy, RFA’s vice president for real estate.

City planning guidance identifies the property for community mixed-use development, with greater residential density and buildings as tall as six stories.

Some neighbors welcomed changes made to the plans since they were first presented this summer, including a 20-foot buffer with room for trees at the northeast corner, a tree survey and a commitment to an independent traffic study. But residents continued to question the project’s scale and its effects on privacy, construction disruption and traffic.

The Tamarack Trails Community Services Association, which represents owners of more than 300 homes and condominiums across nearly 60 lots north of the site, asked the commission to delay approval for additional review. Its board sought study of larger north-side setbacks, lower building heights and parking requirements, and a survey of trees.

“We support responsible new housing at 301 S. Westfield,” the board wrote in comments to the commission, while calling for protections for public safety, mature trees, drainage, nearby homes and neighborhood compatibility.

Resident Andrew Durbridge said the plans missed an opportunity to create a better transition between the major road and nearby homes. Liane Felton described concerns about years of construction, added traffic and reduced privacy, saying the project had changed how she viewed living in the neighborhood.

City Council member Joann Pritchett, who represents the area, also urged further work on traffic. She pointed to congestion around Mineral Point and Gammon roads near West Towne Mall and delays at Westfield and Mineral Point roads, where several bus routes operate. “We're stuck with ifs and maybes, and I think we need more answers than that,” Pritchett said.

Traffic engineer Sean Malloy said city staff expect streets along the development’s southern edge near Mineral Point Road to handle added traffic. The effects on the residential area to the north remain uncertain, and a study is planned.

Commission members said the redevelopment could put an underused property to work in an area with access to amenities and transportation. The site is several blocks north of West Towne Mall.