Two student housing developments underway in downtown Auburn

 Site clearing is underway on two pieces of property in downtown Auburn that are being repurposed into retail and residential uses. The developments, called The Balcony and 222 Lofts, will house student apartments, with bottom floor commercial spaces facing Glenn Avenue and College Street, respectively. Both will be managed by College Town Properties and are located in the city’s urban core, which is not in the moratorium zone where the construction of multiple-unit developments is temporarily prohibited.

Comprised of 10 units with 50 beds, The Balcony will be built on Glenn Avenue across from Auburn First Baptist Church, between Berney Office Solutions and the Circle K convenience store and gas station on the corner of Glenn Avenue and Gay Street. A vacant building was demolished on the site earlier this month to make way for the new development.

According to Auburn Planning Director Forrest Cotten, plans for the buildings indicate they will each stand four stories tall.

“These are more traditional-urban with quite a bit of brick … the storefronts look good,” Cotten said, though adding he is unsure of what specific tenants will occupy the commercial spaces. “They look like they’re very appropriate for the location in which they’re going.”

“The properties do meet up in the back,” he said. “My understanding, they’re meeting their parking requirements on both properties, so some of the parking is spread amongst the two.”

Cotten said the city is looking forward to development coming to the two properties.

“We’re very relieved and feel very fortunate that it’s being developed,” he said.

Chase Lawrence, principal of College Town Properties, said his company is looking forward to bringing student housing development to ideal locations in downtown Auburn.

"We recognize that the Auburn market poses very significant barriers to entry,” Lawrence said. “For our team, the opportunity to offer a property with two unbeatable downtown locations was something we were very excited about. Students are best connected with campus when they have pedestrian accessibility. It reduces travel time and parking costs.”

According to The Balcony’s website, residential units will feature rolling glass doors opening to a private patio. Kitchens will have stainless appliances and granite countertops, and units will have hardwood floors throughout with home theater systems and TVs mounted in both the living room and on the patios.

“We want to offer a resident experience that is second to none,” Lawrence said. “For that reason, we focus on innovative home features, functional and comfortable floor plans and unmatched proximity to downtown and campus. The Balcony couples thoughtful design with downtown convenience and exceeds the expectation of today's college student."