Planned $27M apartment complex targets dog owners

Construction is expected to begin this month on the first phase of a $27 million apartment complex designed for dog owners.

The complex, dubbed The Crossings at East Cherry, will be a multifamily development at the 3000 block of East Cherry Street near U.S. Highway 65, said real estate broker Matt Miller of The Closer’s Agency. Miller, whose company brokered the land deal, declined to disclose the name of the development group.

The apartment complex is being built with canines in mind, Miller said, noting amenities will include a dog wash station, dog-friendly community spaces, and dog access and amenities at the complex’s pool. The complex also is designed with community outdoor space and covered parking, he said.

“It’s really targeted to dog owners and dog lovers, and that’s a really broad demographic,” Miller said. “There’s a difference between units that allow people to have pets and what we’re talking about here, which is deliberately themed to attract people who love dogs, have dogs and want to live near them.”

The project will be developed in multiple phases, Miller said. The first phase, which is estimated to cost $8.5 million, will produce roughly 80 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom layout options by first quarter 2021. He said the complex would have a total count of roughly 240 units, though a final completion date has not yet been set. Miller was unable to disclose estimated price ranges for rent.

Kyle Yarbrough of project architect Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective said in an email that the total square footage of the 3080 E. Cherry St. project will be roughly 81,400 square feet. Morelock Builders & Associates Inc. has signed on as general contractor.

Another development group has plans for a nearby dog park concept called the Bark Yard, which would include a restaurant and bar concept, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

“We felt like there was potential for a good synergy and momentum in what the Bark Yard guys are doing,” Miller said.

Tommy Buterbaugh, co-owner of the Bark Yard, previously told SBJ that the business concept would include a 2- to 3-acre dog park and a 6,000-square-foot building with day care, boarding and an indoor dog park.

Buterbaugh said in an email that construction on the dog park concept is anticipated to begin in mid-February. He said he and the development group for the Cherry Street apartments did not coordinate business plans.