Luxury
apartments one step closer in Middletown
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Staff Writer
9:58 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 http://www.journal-news.com/news" rel="nofollow - Local News MIDDLETOWN A proposed
$20 million, 216-apartment community
for South Towne Boulevard
had no opponents during a public hearing Tuesday held by Middletown City
Council and will proceed with the completion of final development plans. Fred Burns
Builder Development Team, a Kentucky developer of luxury apartment communities,
also received approval on an emergency resolution for the planned use
modification development plan so that project can get through the final plan
approval process quicker and begin construction at the earliest opportunity.
The final plans are expected to be submitted to the city for review by March 18
and for final development approval by the Planning Commission in April,
according to Art Hardin, president of Calibre Engineering in Centerville. Tonya Burns
of the development company said council’s approval of Nicholas Place will enable the project
breaking ground in April or May. She has said that the first apartments could
be ready for occupancy in late 2015 and into 2016. The
22.44-acre tract was previously approved several years ago for a similar-sized
apartment community. The project will be the first new upscale market-rate
apartments built in Middletown
in more than 30 years, according to city Planner Marty Kohler. The new
apartment homes are designed to attract new residents who may not want to be
home buyers. According to
Planning Commission documents, the site also has another 8.39-acres that is
also being planned for retail development. That part of the city is served by
the Lebanon City School District. The site was
originally approved for a similar-sized apartment community that was to be
called Wellington Manor in 2007 and an expansion was approved in 2008. The
Planning Commission and City Council approved a new development plan in 2011,
but no construction ever began on the site. “The Nicholas
Place Apartments will be the first new residential apartments built in Middletown in several years,” said Denise Hamet, Middletown’s economic
development director. “We are pleased that this project will be moving forward.
It speaks to the vibrancy and continued growth and investment in the
Renaissance District, which includes the opening of a new Hampton Inn two years
ago and the recent Kroger expansion.” The
family-owned company has developed a number of properties of this size and just
completed a similar-sized luxury apartment community in LaGrange,
Ky., just outside of Louisville. The Middletown
project will be the company’s first venture into Ohio She said the
company currently owns in excess of 1,200 units in seven properties in Kentucky, including four apartment properties in Northern
Kentucky communities of Florence, Independence and Burlington. Burns, who
was unable to attend Tuesday’s council meeting due to the severe winter weather
conditions, said, “We’re real thrilled about this.” “We’re so
excited and we can’t wait to get up there,” she said. “We like to build as soon
as we get the final approvals. That’s when the fun starts (of building).” The Middletown site has 22.4
acres and will have nine buildings with 24 units, each of two- and three-bedroom
apartments. The average unit will have about 1,145 square feet of floor space
and 95 percent will have brick exteriors. The community
would include amenities such as a pool, clubhouse/fitness room, playground,
garage spaces, community garden, a dog park and basketball court. Of the 216
planned units, plans call for 144 two-bedroom units and 72 three-bedroom units.
Burns declined to give a specific price point for the units, but did say they
would be market rate. Although
there was no opposition at Tuesday’s public hearing conducted by council, one
resident, Kevin Banks, of Arbor
Court in the Bridgewood Villas subdivision south
of the proposed complex, sent a note opposing the project. He could not attend
the meeting due to his work schedule. He reiterated
the same objections that he sent to the Planning Commission which included
having such a large apartment community located near his home, the need to fix
the city’s roads and infrastructure, and ridding the city of its aging and
deserted buildings. “All (of) this (is) needed and Middletown
puts up lighted pillars along (Ohio)
122. Come on people,” he wrote. City
officials said the property is in the East End Tax Increment Financing district
and the new property valuation and resulting taxes would contribute to the
retirement of the debt for the construction of South Towne Boulevard. The project would
also result in a $97,200 park impact fee for new park acquisition or capital
improvements. There will be additional costs for City services for the new
residents.
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