A project years in the making was realized Thursday with the ribbon cutting on a new apartment complex, The Reserves at Trail Ridge.
The final inspections were also completed Thursday on the first 24 units in the The Reserves, located at 811 Grant St. There will be 48 units when the complex is finished. The first tenants are moving in now, and leases have been signed on all 24 of the two- and three-bedroom apartments.
It is the first new apartment complex built in Great Bend since the 1970s, city officials said. That warranted a gathering of dignitaries, including U.S. Senator Jerry Moran.
“This place is gorgeous,” Moran said, standing in front of the clubhouse, and facing a three-story apartment building.
Overland Property Group LLC, the investor behind this venture, promotes the “upscale amenities” in its “affordable apartments” – amenities such as knotty alder cabinets and walk-in closets, a 24/7 fitness center, a playground and a basketball court.
Moran noted there is a federal component in this project, built with Low Income Housing Tax Credits. However, he said the local level is where the problems of everyday living are solved.
“These good things would not happen in Great Bend but for local community leaders,” Moran said. “This starts at the grass-roots level and works its way up.”
For those who hope their children or grandchildren will one day return to the community, a project such as this improves the chances of that happening, he added.
Mayor Mike Allison noted that the Great Bend City Council has made improving available housing a priority for years. Jan Peters, president and chief executive officer of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development, credited a “visionary city council” with establishing a Rural Housing Incentive District.
“It all started because of solid, solid relationships,” Peters said. There were many individuals to acknowledge, including Bret Johnson and Matt Gillam from Overland Property Group. Founded in 2002, OPG has offices in Leawood, Kansas, and Austin, Texas. From market analysis, site selection, financing, design and construction to marketing and management, OPG has more than 40 developments, totaling over 2,000 units and $250 million of both affordable and market-rate apartments.
Also speaking were Dennis Mesa and Fred Bentley from the Kansas Housing Resource Corp.