Barnett hopes to start construction by spring of 2017, and work could last 18 to 24 months.
“Although we’ve danced for a long time with this, we’re ready to get married to this and start construction soon,” Barnett said this week.
The property behind Cross Pointe has sat idle for 10 years. The Showcase Cinemas theater closed in 2006, and the site remained unoccupied until 2014, when the theater was demolished.
The 324-unit apartment complex would offer one- and two-bedroom units, with rent ranging from $900-$1,200 for the one-bedroom and $1,300-$1,500 for two-bedroom units. One-bedroom units would have 800 to 1,100 square feet of space; two-bedroom units would have 1,200 to 1,500 square feet.
Amenities would include a clubhouse, pool, workout facilities, gathering spaces and a park, located at the center of the development.
The project faced challenges because the 14.5 acres the project is proposed for needed to be rezoned to accommodate the projected 22.3 units per acre. The city does not allow for more than six units per acre without the approval of the application.
After city council approved the rezoning application, all that was left was for council to approve preliminary development plans, which included seven separate four-story buildings, each equipped with a parking garage on the first floor and a 24-foot corridor that would create a “pedestrian-friendly” connection to Cross Pointe.
“We’d like to create something that’s more inviting, more bright, that ties through both landscaping and hardscaping to our site so that it feels like it’s part of The Allure and that we’re almost part of Cross Pointe,” Barnett said of the access to Cross Pointe.
Currently, the corridor is used for deliveries and maintenance vehicle access, which would be retained after the project is completed.
Don Wright, the owner of Cross Pointe, said that Cross Pointe is “much in favor” of the development.
“It would be a complement for the center and a complement for the apartments once they get built,” Wright said. “The Allure project looks like it will add a lot of splash to Centerville.”
Centerville city council approved the rezoning and preliminary development plans Monday, both by a vote of 6-1. Next, Mills Development must present the final development plans to the city’s planning commission for approval, and then to city council before they can break ground on the project next spring. Barnett anticipates meeting with the planning commission as early as January.
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