Home on the river: Upscale Rock Island Ridges shows off its assets
An upscale apartment community overlooking the Chattahoochee River in Phenix City is moving toward completion, with the property already leasing units in two buildings as crews work to wrap up construction later this year.
Rock Island Ridges at Riverchase, a 346-unit property owned by Phenix City real-estate developer Mike Bowden and managed by Columbus-based Flournoy Companies, is shooting for the middle of July to have everything finished in all five main structures, said community manager Ursula Trimiar.
During a recent tour of the 4402 Riverchase Drive complex and its grounds and amenities, Trimiar said pre-leasing began last September on the apartment community, with its first inhabitant signing a lease to live there in early December. The response thus far has been good, she said.
“We have this (completed) building that houses 45 apartments,” she said. “And our next building still partially under construction has 70 apartments total. We already have 15 of them occupied.”
(Ground being prepared for apartment complex on Riverchase Drive)
Work on the property site started in the fall of 2015, with machinery digging into the earth fronting Riverchase Drive and carving a path back through the trees to the apartment site. Today, as a unique water-wheel feature is being built to welcome apartment dwellers and guests to Rock Island Ridges, crews are still pushing dirt and some rock around off Riverchase to prepare for more development.
Trimiar said that hasn’t stopped potential prospects from visiting the apartment community, with her staff averaging about 30 visits a week. Most showing interest are from the Alabama side of the river, she said, with some moving here from out of town.
“I actually just had a resident relocating from Austin (Texas), and the reason that he chose us was because he was used to such an upscale living environment there, and he couldn’t find that anywhere else here,” she said.
The long-term hope, she said, is that residents from Columbus will discover Rock Island Ridges and its prime location on the Georgia-Alabama state line with the nearby major four-lane U.S. Highway 80 connecting the two. Lease pricing should not be an issue, she believes.
“Our rental rates are comparable or even a little bit lower than what you would pay to live in most communities in Columbus,” Trimiar said. “We call those our opening rent. We’re hoping we can eventually ask people to pay for the location, just like if you want to be on the river and lease a loft downtown, you pay significantly more. Those are the highest rents that this town is collecting.”
Lease rates at Rock Island Ridges start at $875 a month for a one-bedroom unit, $1,075 for two bedrooms and $1,390 for three bedrooms. Those preferring to live on the bottom and top floors of the five four-story buildings pay $20 per month extra.
Certain views of the river or lake, versus an interior community view, also command an extra charge. There also are 60 enclosed garage spaces available for $100 per month, with storage space on site as well. One amenity most non-ground floor residents should appreciate are the elevators in each of the five apartment structures.
“We also are very pet friendly,” Trimiar said. “We don’t ask for any monthly pet rent, and our residents can actually have up to three pets per apartment with no weight restrictions.”
Individual apartments come in seven designs, she said, with select units having walk-in showers and all of them offering good closet space and washers and dryers provided and maintained at no additional cost. Units also have larger 25-cubic foot refrigerators, 10-foot ceilings and offer wood-style flooring instead of carpet. Granite countertops also are standard, as are upgraded vanities and mirrors in the bathrooms.
Community features include a large deck surrounding a saltwater swimming pool and an on-site fitness center. The clubhouse that includes a pool table and very large-screen television is available for residents’ use, along with rental options for parties and other events.
There also are two pet areas to go with a large community area dubbed “Central Park” that will include a three-tier water fountain, gazebo and play area for residents to hang out and relax.
And, of course, there is the river, with those living at Rock Island Ridges having access to Oliver Lake via a boat dock built on an inlet that also is used by nearby residents of Rock Island Landing, a residential neighborhood that has been in the area for years.
Trimiar noted the apartment community is happy to lease to anyone who meets Flournoy Companies’ qualifications. But there also is a preferred employer program in place that includes those working at companies such as Aflac, TSYS, all of the area’s hospitals, Fort Benning soldiers and civilians. The goal also is to attract retirees looking to downsize from larger single-family homes to the upscale community, she said.
“Our hopes are to build a community of long-term residents,” Trimiar said. “We pride ourselves on providing good customer service, providing what our residents need, so that when their lease is up, they have no reason to leave. We can’t help it if they take job transfers, and some people will eventually purchase homes, but in general our hope is to build a community that stays strong.”
Rock Island Ridges at Riverchase, which is located directly across from Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, joins a growing apartment presence in the area. The 200-unit Steeple Crest apartment complex is also off Riverchase Drive, as is the 224-unit Greystone at Riverchase. Flournoy Companies also manages Steeple Crest.
Trimiar said key competitors in the local market for Rock Island Ridges include Lakeside Village and Swallowtail Flats in north Columbus and The Preserve at Columbus Park.
The debut of the upscale apartment community in Phenix City also comes with Columbus-based W.C. Bradley Co. preparing to construct a 226-unit apartment complex in downtown Columbus, with the multi-phase project including restaurant and retail space, a parking garage and a park. W.C. Bradley also successfully developed the Eagle & Phenix loft condo and apartment complex overlooking the river downtown.
This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Home on the river: Upscale Rock Island Ridges shows off its assets."