Work gets under way on Charles Pointe apartment complex
Exponent Telegram
August 15, 2010
By Paul Fallon
Staff Writer
CLARKSBURG – Local officials hope the construction of a 96-unit apartment complex will help alleviate a housing shortage in the area.
Work has started on the apartment complex at Charles Pointe, said Mark Dellana, director of development at Charles Pointe. The footers are being poured at the site, and the owner hopes to have some of the units open in the next few months.
“Some of the units should be done by late fall,” he said.
The shortage of available rental units in the area will only get worse once the new United Hospital Center opens in October, he said.
The new units will take care of the immediate needs for rental housing, said Fran Cornelius, a Realtor at Homefinders Plus in Bridgeport.
But the area will need additional rental property in the future, she said.
“I’m sure these new units will make a significant difference in the lack of rental housing in the area,” Cornelius said.
“But we’re going to need more units with a more diverse range in rent.”
Bridgeport Mayor Jim Christie said he and other city leaders have been waiting for a company to open new rental units in the area to address the lack of housing.
Christie believes the shortage of housing is partly due to the fact that many people cannot afford to buy homes at the present time. Numerous residents are also moving into the area for jobs in various fields ranging from those working at the new hospital to oil and gas field labor.
“We have people moving to this area who are making good money but they don’t quite have enough saved to buy a house right off the bat,” he said.
Those working in the area may also be keeping their houses in their hometowns and need a place to stay while they work through the week, Christie said.
Christie also expressed concern about the future, saying that even though the 96 units will go a long way in addressing the need for rental property, that more need to be built in the area in the future.
Dellana said representatives from Charles Pointe have been contacted by developers who are interested in building between 100 to 250 new apartment units on the property in the near future. However, a firm agreement has not yet been reached.
Charles Pointe has been approved for a total of 2,281 residential units, Dellana said. These units could be apartments or houses.
“If we decide to build more apartments, we can build fewer houses,” he said.
“We’re shooting to satisfy the overall needs for apartments and housing,” Dellana said.
The new apartments will be medium to upscale units, said Dave Biafora, owner of the development. The two-bedroom apartments will rent for between $995 to $1,095, he said.
The complex will be built in two phases, Biafora said, with 48 units being constructed during each phase.
A pool and a clubhouse also will be built at the site, Biafora said.
“And the apartments will have garages and carports along with the clubhouse and pool,” he said.
The apartments will be the first constructed at Charles Pointe, Dellana said. They will be inside a gated community, Biafora said.