The Heritage approaches full occupancy

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In the spot where hungry customers once loaded trays with fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese and a slice of cherry pie, a luxury apartment building stands.

The Heritage, a five-story structure with 95 apartment units and available first-floor retail space, is the newest offering from Coryell Collaborative Group, which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the development on June 27. The building, located at 1364 E. Battlefield Road, encompasses 87,000 square feet. 

There are three retail spaces on the first floor. One of these has been leased by mattress retailer iSense, and another has been leased by a tenant that is yet to be named. The other remains available, and the owners say they’d like to see a business go in that will be appealing to tenants – a coffee shop, say, or a retail outlet carrying items they might find desirable.

Although residents have been moving in since April 1, the ribbon-cutting event marked the building’s public debut, with remarks given at a platform erected in the parking lot and tours of the building offered afterwards.

Prior to the event, Sam M. Coryell, president of Coryell Collaborative Group, and his son, who goes by Sam Coryell, offered a private tour to Springfield Business Journal.

Through Heritage Project LLC, Sam M. Coryell and his wife, Jennifer, hold the majority stake in the property at 66%. His father, Sam E. Coryell, is 30% owner, and a silent partner owns 4%. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Sam Coryell holds no ownership stake, but he lives on site with his wife, Brooke, and manages the building through TLC Properties, part of Coryell Collaborative.

Asked about the investment in the property, Sam M. Coryell said that figure continues to evolve with debt and equity in flux, but he just received an appraisal that put the property at $31.5 million.

Apartments range from studio to three-bedroom units, and not all floor plans are the same; for instance, a studio apartment might be a micro-studio or it might be what the younger Sam called an artisan loft with 19-foot ceilings and stairs leading up to a sleeping level.

The 470-square-foot micro-studio starts at $1,219 per month, with prices ranging up to $3,100 for a 1,280-square-foot three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit.

Rental platform Zumper reported on July 3 that the median rent in Springfield is $1,115, a year-over-year increase of 1%. There were 349 available rentals in the city, according to the site.

Rent ranges in Springfield, based on Zumper inventory in the last 30 days, show 58% of renters are paying $751-$1,500, with 20% paying $1,501-$2,250 and 4% paying $2,251-$3,000. Only 2% of renters pay more than $3,001, per Zumper data.

Currently, 58% of housing in the city is renter occupied, according to Zumper.

Building amenities
In its marketing materials, the building points to on-site management and maintenance, including 24/7 emergency assistance. Internet is provided, with speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per unit.

All apartments have a fully equipped kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances. Furnished units are available, and some units have a private balcony or patio included.

The rooms feature smart technology, including an Alexa virtual assistant that is accessible through a small video unit mounted on the wall. The building and the apartments have keyless entry.

Pets are permitted, with a secure dog park outside, and covered parking is available with electric-vehicle charging stations for all tenants. There is also a Tesla vehicle on offer to tenants for hourly rental.

On the first floor, a bodega offers snacks and convenience items with a cashless, cardless checkout screen, and free coffee and hot chocolate are available through a machine.

The penthouse area includes a gathering space, a fully equipped fitness center with a smaller enclosed spin area and a sports simulator with a wall-sized screen where tenants can engage in five-dozen sports, including shooting sports, golf, cornhole – even zombie-killing. 

A rooftop patio wraps around the north and east sides of the penthouse area, and its amenities include a fire pit and barbecue.

Outside, there is a pool with lounge chairs both in and around it, as well as a hot tub. A waterfall feature masks some of the sounds of the retail area surrounding the building.

The amenities are in line with those desired by young professionals, according to a 2023 survey by Rent Café. That research showed 62% of younger renters value technology, particularly high-speed internet and apartment digital features.

Sam M. Coryell said the building offers a feeling of downtown from its location on the southern end of the city. A number of restaurants – from fine dining at the newly relocated Avanzare to casual luncheon fare at Chicken Salad Chick – are within walking distance, he noted.

“I wanted to try to recreate all the things people love about living downtown – being able to walk out of your apartment and walk, not have to get in your car, to a service,” he said.

The south side lacks some drawbacks of downtown, he said, citing available parking and a measure of safety.

Sam Coryell said tenants like the advanced smart home tech, the rooftop lounge and the sports simulator, as well as little things, like a full-sized washer and dryer in the apartment. He added that he and Brooke like those features, too.

“We love it here,” he said.

Occupancy rate
Sam M. Coryell said 82 units have been leased so far, and 50-60 are already occupied, with more moving in come July and August. That puts him well ahead of his goal of having 90% of the facility leased by October.

“Right now we’re on track to make it by the end of July, so we’re way ahead of schedule,” he said.

The project was a challenging one, he said.

“This was a really hard development. I had to tear down some structures, I had to do a lot of city stuff – I knew it would be complicated,” he said. “Anything that’s inner-city infill is more complicated.”

The building shares a wall with the shopping center beside it – and Coryell clarified that he doesn’t own that, though he says his neighbors have been easy to work with.

“There’s a reason why we have sprawl. I’m not a big fan of it, but it’s a lot easier as a developer to buy a big piece of farmland that’s got no problems and just start building,” he said.

He noted infill is a more sustainable choice, and one that is better for the city. Water and sewer are in place, as are fire and police protection.

“It makes a lot of sense, but it is hard,” he said.

Although the building looks markedly different from the Heritage Cafeteria that once stood on the site, parts of its interior design pay homage to its predecessor. Its bodega is named the Evans Café – the Evans family owned the restaurant, he noted – and an original hand-painted sign from the restaurant is framed and has a place of honor in the lobby wall.

“When I was looking at buying it, I talked to my wife and said, ‘You know, I don’t want to be the guy that tears down the Heritage Cafeteria,” he said.

People still joke around with him about wanting fried chicken or peach cobbler, he said.

“I can’t turn back the clock, and I’m not a restaurateur,” he said. “But we’ve tried to preserve the legacy, and most of the feedback I’ve gotten has been really good.”