Posted: 1:31 p.m.Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015

Luxury apartments one step closer in Middletown

By Ed Richter

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

    A proposed $20 million, 216-apartmentcommunity for South Towne Boulevard had no opponents during a public hearingTuesday held by Middletown City Council and will proceed with the completion offinal development plans.

    Fred Burns Builder Development Team, aKentucky developer of luxury apartment communities, also received approval onan emergency resolution for the planned use modification development plan sothat project can get through the final plan approval process quicker and beginconstruction at the earliest opportunity. The final plans are expected to besubmitted to the city for review by March 18 and for final development approvalby the Planning     Commission in April,according to Art Hardin, president of Calibre Engineering in Centerville.

    Tonya Burns of the development company saidcouncil’s approval of Nicholas Place will enable the project breaking ground inApril or May. She has said that the first apartments could be ready foroccupancy in late 2015 and into 2016.

    The 22.44-acre tract was previouslyapproved several years ago for a similar-sized apartment community. The projectwill be the first new upscale market-rate apartments built in Middletown inmore than 30 years, according to city Planner Marty Kohler. The new apartmenthomes 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 retaildevelopment. That part of the city is served by the Lebanon City SchoolDistrict.

    The site was originally approved for asimilar-sized apartment community that was to be called Wellington Manor in2007 and an expansion was approved in 2008. The Planning Commission and CityCouncil approved a new development plan in 2011, but no construction ever beganon the site.

    “The Nicholas Place Apartments will be thefirst new residential apartments built in Middletown in several years,” saidDenise Hamet, Middletown’s economic development director. “We are pleased thatthis project will be moving forward. It speaks to the vibrancy and continuedgrowth and investment in the Renaissance District, which includes the openingof a new Hampton Inn two years ago and the recent Kroger expansion.”

    The family-owned company has developed anumber of properties of this size and just completed a similar-sized luxuryapartment community in LaGrange, Ky., just outside of Louisville. TheMiddletown project will be the company’s first venture into Ohio

    She said the company currently owns inexcess of 1,200 units in seven properties in Kentucky, including four apartmentproperties in Northern Kentucky communities of Florence, Independence andBurlington.

    Burns, who was unable to attend Tuesday’scouncil meeting due to the severe winter weather conditions, said, “We’re realthrilled about this.”

    “We’re so excited and we can’t wait to getup 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 willhave 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 95percent will have brick exteriors.

    The community would include amenities suchas a pool, clubhouse/fitness room, playground, garage spaces, community garden,a dog park and basketball court. Of the 216 planned units, plans call for 144two-bedroom units and 72 three-bedroom units. Burns declined to give a specificprice point for the units, but did say they would be market rate.

    Although there was no opposition atTuesday’s public hearing conducted by council, one resident, Kevin Banks, ofArbor 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 hiswork schedule.

    He reiterated the same objections that hesent to the Planning Commission which included having such a large apartmentcommunity located near his home, the need to fix the city’s roads andinfrastructure, 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 theEast End Tax Increment Financing district and the new property valuation andresulting taxes would contribute to the retirement of the debt for theconstruction of South Towne Boulevard. The project would also result in a$97,200 park impact fee for new park acquisition or capital improvements. Therewill be additional costs for City services for the new residents.