Madison may soon invest $2.1 million to help a company develop three massive industrial buildings costing about $39 million and totaling roughly 430,000 square feet that could bring businesses and jobs to the Southeast Side.

Over 165 years, the congregation of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Downtown Madison has always been willing to change for the sake of ministry, the Rev. Peter Beeson said. Now the church is planning for its most dramatic change ever with a proposal to demolish its building at 322 E. Washington Ave. for a $25 million to $31 million, 10-story redevelopment that would feature a new sanctuary, community spaces and offices on the first floor, topped by nine floors of mostly lower-cost apartments with below-ground parking.

As Madison policymakers continue to seek solutions for residents without housing, some want to lay the legislative groundwork that would allow people to live and sleep outside.