Low-income residents help shape what could be one of the coolest places to live in Madison

After 50 years, the nonprofit Bayview Foundation is poised to launch a $50 million redevelopment of its diverse, international, low-income Downtown community, where residents played a central role in shaping what may become one of the coolest places to live in Madison.

Bayview, now 102 obsolete townhouses built in 1971 and a community center constructed in 1985 on 4.6 acres, is a rare oasis of low-cost housing in Madison. But the units are cramped, worn and inaccessible to seniors or those with disabilities, while the community center is bursting at the seams and unable to provide many of the services residents want...