by Dave DeMars
news@thenewsleaders.com
Torborg Builders of St. Cloud has applied for site-plan approval to begin construction on a new five-story apartment building in the downtown Sauk Rapids area.
The site chosen is currently owned by the Sauk Rapids Housing and Redevelopment Authority and is located on Benton Drive near the new bridge leading into Sauk Rapids across from the present Sauk Rapids Walgreens Store.
The site has been owned by the city since the building of the new bridge, and the city has been trying to market the property for several years, said Todd Schultz, community development director. The Torborgs will both build and be involved in the operation and management of the building when the project is completed.
“The comprehensive plan we adopted just before the bridge project commenced really identified bringing residential in and around the downtown to help support the commercial retail businesses down there and to create that vibrant atmosphere you like to have in your downtown,” Schultz said. “It’s something we’ve been working on for years to bring a nice multi-family project there.”
Schultz described the building as upscale, focusing on the higher end of the rental market. The building will have a below-ground parking garage on the river side of the building and a rooftop patio.
The project has already gone through the Sauk Rapids Planning Commission and is slated to go before the council at the Aug. 22 meeting, Schultz said.
In a phone conversation with Tim Torborg of Torborg Builders, he explained part of what motivated his company to undertake the project was the desire on the part of the city to have that kind of project in the downtown area.
“It kind of fit with what we typically kind of look for which is to build high-end rental housing,” Torborg said. “And proximity to good jobs is also a reason we look at it as a good location.”
Torborg Builders has been involved in creating other projects in Sauk Rapids, but what makes this one unique is its location in the downtown area, Torborg said.
“This is more designed for a downtown area with the underground parking and additional height, or the additional floor on top of the building to have a little higher density,” Torborg said.
The complex would house 57 units with a mix of studio apartments, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Prices are estimated to run about $625 per month for studios, $850 for one-bedroom, and $950 to $1,000 for two-bedroom units.
The Mississippi River is an attraction for at least part of the year. During the winter months, it would be easily viewable but foliage would block out the view during the summer months, Torborg said. Another concern is train noise, but Torborg is confident that use of the right construction materials would reduce the noise to a minimum.
What makes this set of apartments so unique and unusual is the fact they are located in the downtown area, Schultz noted.
“That sets this project apart from all apartments in the St. Cloud-Central Minnesota area. I can’t think of anything that’s quite like this,” Schultz said. “It’s a large-market-range project in a downtown environment. That makes it a little bit unique right there.”
The fact the Torborgs are building the project is also a little unique, Schultz said, because they not only build the structures, but they continue to own and manage the buildings they build. Most builders sell the complexes to investors and companies that take over the management. Torborgs haven’t done that in the past and because of that, they tend to put more quality in at the front end of the building project, Schultz said.
It’s expected because of its location and the clientele targeted, the new apartments will fill up fairly quickly. Typically many of the apartments are rented even before the project is finished, Schultz said.
Young people don’t have the same American dream as older generations did. Maybe they will eventually gravitate back to the normal dream, but they aren’t as anxious to get into a home as earlier generations. They tend to stay in apartments longer than in the past.
“They are filling up almost as quickly as they can construct them,” Schultz said. “I think folks are a little bit nervous from the Great Recession, a little bit nervous about putting their necks on the line in taking a loan out on something. And a little bit of it is cultural as well.”
Pictured are two depictions of what the new 57-unit apartment complex might look like when finished. Torborg Builders is slated to address the project, which will house an underground garage and a rooftop observation area and patio, at the Aug. 22 Sauk Rapids City Council meeting.
A night-time depiction of the new apartment unit planned for downtown Sauk Rapids. The upscale unit, targeting business and professional class tenants, is scheduled to be built by Torborg Builders.
