A housing project is nearing completion in Jefferson.
Rowland Construction is building three fourplex units east of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Rowland Construction President Andy Rowland says each fourplex includes two ranch-style and two-story townhomes. Each apartment will have a two-vehicle detached garage, refrigerator, microwave, stove, dishwasher and hook-ups for a washer and dryer. The ranch-style apartments will have two bedrooms and one bathroom, while the two-story includes two bedrooms and 1 ½ bathrooms.
Rowland tells Raccoon Valley Radio what interested him about Jefferson, with his construction company based in Clive.
“I like the small town atmosphere a little bit better. Des Moines is a pretty big competitive market and growing pretty fast. I like to keep things local and we manage everything ourselves and it’s just a lot harder to do that in the Des Moines area.”
Different governmental entities worked together to help push the project into the construction phase. The Greene County Board of Supervisors gave the Greene County Development Corporation $30,000, which GCDC used to purchase the land from St. Joseph’s. The Jefferson City Council passed a zoning change for the property to be multi-family residential and then passed an ordinance for a ten-year tax abatement for new construction for properties with that same zoning.
GCDC Executive Director Ken Paxton appreciates everyone’s help to create these new apartments. He explains that this project was needed to close a financial gap, which previously prevented other housing projects from happening.
“In the appraisal process is that we didn’t have any comparables. So they (the appraisers) didn’t think we could get slightly higher rents, these will rent in the $700-$800 price range. When these fill up that gap will decrease because there is now a new comparable, and those apartments are filled, and people are paying that rent. So that appraisal gap will diminish.”
Rowland anticipates the first set of units to be ready for moving in by January 1, 2020. To get an application go to rowlandrealestate.com.