By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – With the first building having been open for more than a month while tenants are moving in, the Howard Commons apartment complex held a grand opening Thursday, Oct. 11.
Alliance Management, which has an agreement with the village to manage and market Howard Commons, hosted the event.
It was open to the public to view what it calls “Howard’s newest luxury apartments” that include one- and two-bedroom units along with several amenities, such as a fitness center, club room, social room, a deck with grills and gas fireplaces.
Erik Goerke, Alliance Management CEO/owner, said 49 leases have been signed so far in Building A, which has 84 units with three stories and is the first of three apartment buildings planned on the site.
Village President Burt McIntyre read from a prepared statement to formally dedicate the project.
“I am proud of our staff and village board,” McIntyre said. “Making the decision to be a developer on the Howard Commons project took courage and an understanding of the benefits to the community, both social and financial.”
Though going forward with the project could be considered a risk, McIntyre said “that risk was identified, and the board felt that the benefits to the community, overall, were too significant to not move forward.”
McIntyre also thanked Goerke and Ryan Raskin of Altius Building Company for what he called “their courage to come to the village board with periodic updates, both good and bad.”
Located between the YMCA and Meadowbrook Park, construction is now going on for the second 39-unit apartment building slated for completion Dec. 1 with work on a third 45-unit building expected to start next spring and be completed in the spring of 2020.
