Plan for Marshall Square revised
When it meets Thursday, the Columbia County Planning Commission will review site plan revisions for the Marshall Square development in Evans.
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Developers unveiled the revised plan for the 52-acre development on Evans Town Center Boulevard on Jan. 29 during a planning commission work session.
Revisions to the mixed-use development focus on a shift in the layout of residential and parking space. In the initial plan, residential and commercial spaces were combined into multiple buildings and a "residential tower."
The revisions for the first phase of construction show seven four-story buildings that will house an estimated 350 apartments, costing approximately $115,000 per unit to build, according to developers.
The apartment density was limited to a maximum of 34 units per acre in 2004, and the residential changes will not affect that number, said Miller-Valentine Group Senior Developer Bill Marsh, who will head the property's residential development.
"We're just changing the way it's configured a little bit," he said.
Marsh said there wasn't a specific number of units indicated in the original plan, but he estimated the buildings could have held between 400 and 550 units.
The projected rent for the apartments, which target young professionals and senior citizens, ranges from $835 for a one-bedroom to $1,205 for a three-bedroom.
Residential development is scheduled to begin before any retail projects get under way.
Proposed amenities for the community include a clubhouse with a fitness center and Internet cafe, a swimming pool with an outdoor hot tub, small parks with picnic areas and a dog run.
Marsh said he hopes to ensure high standards through restrictive covenants and limitations in the zoning as allowed by the law.
"I have a very high degree of confidence that it's going to achieve 90 percent-plus occupancy," Marsh said. "We've studied that pretty closely. We're talking about making a $40 million investment."
In the future, the apartments could be converted to condominiums, he said, but the market currently doesn't allow for it.
"Most of the seniors that I know that want to come into Augusta want to establish roots (and) want condos," Planning Commission Chairwoman Jean Garniewicz said. "You want long-term people to stay there."
The Columbia County Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. in the Evans Government Complex auditorium on Ronald Reagan Drive.