JAMESTOWN — What once was a vacant building for many years has turned into a 33-unit multi-family housing development in downtown Jamestown at the site of the former Eagles building.
Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the community was concerned about what would happen to the former building because of its size and cost to either rehabilitate or demolish it. He said Commonwealth Development stepped up and created a “beautiful” building with nice living quarters.
“It is very ideally located for the people who live here in the community,” he said. He also said he was appreciative of the use of “Eagle” in the name of multi-family development.
A grand opening celebration was held Wednesday, May 3, at the Eagle Flats Apartments where attendees took tours of the building. The Eagle Flats Apartments, located at 211 2nd Ave. SW, has 33 one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
The property features covered first-floor parking with residential units above, an on-site leasing office, a fitness center and a community room. The community room includes a kitchen, a dining area, computers and a lounging area with seating and a TV.
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Each unit includes a washer and dryer. The three-bedrooms that were available to tour included two bathrooms, including one near the master bedroom.
The project cost about $11 million to complete, The Jamestown Sun reported in December. Commonwealth Development was the lead developer for the project. Commonwealth Construction was the general contractor and BC Contracting helped build the unit.
MetroPlains Management is managing the property and will be in the on-site leasing office.
Only four three-bedroom units are available to rent at Eagle Flats, said Tyler Sheeran, development associate with Commonwealth Development Corp. He said he is thankful for all the individuals who put the time in to help the project get completed.
“Just looking at the last four years, there’s been a lot of partners involved,” he said.
Without the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency providing a loan for housing and tax credits for the project, the Eagle Flats Apartments would not be complete, he said.
“This was a challenging project and initially received funding in 2020,” Sheeran said. “Thankfully we were able to go back to (the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency) and get more dollars allocated in 2021 and without that supplemental application, again, we wouldn’t be here.”
The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency wants to see infill projects such as Eagle Flats that are not on the outskirts of the city, said Dave Flohr, executive director of the agency.
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“The governor has got a big push on infill projects, etc.,” he said. “He was very happy to see when we bring these projects to him, ‘Oh, that’s in downtown Jamestown,’ that’s what he is looking for in the projects that we do in these (North Dakota Housing Finance Agency) programs.”
The Eagle Flats Apartments brings the downtown area to life, said David Klein, executive director of the Great Plains Housing Authority.
“This is something that many of us agreed with — to see more residents in our vibrant downtown,” he said. “This is amazing. We have been absolutely thrilled to see this complex come up.”
Heinrich said the biggest challenge in Jamestown might be creating housing for people who are going to fill the jobs that were created for them.
“There are some very large projects that are going to take place here over the next couple of years that are going to bring in more people,” he said. “ ... Even though this isn’t a complete solution, what we have done here certainly goes a long way in helping with that situation as well.”
The property participates in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, and residency is limited to low- to moderate-income households, according to MetroPlains’ website. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program encourages private sector investment in affordable housing through tax incentives, according to the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s website. The website says property owners receive the credits for up to 10 years based on their capital investment and a project’s level of commitment to low-income tenancy.
Tenants are responsible for heat and electricity. Water, sewer and garbage are included utilities.
As part of the project, 16 units are set aside for project-based vouchers that are provided by Great Plains Housing Authority, Sheeran said. All tenants seeking a rental subsidy must be vetted through the Great Plains Housing Authority and incomes must qualify for it.
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“It allows rental subsidy for individuals that may not be able to financially support that themselves, so it’s just opening the door to a larger tenant demographic … to ensure that we can get this full for everybody who is looking for housing regardless of their income status,” Sheeran said.
For more information on rent and how to apply, visit www.metroplains.com .
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