Housing development in Warner Robins to offer a sense of community without a mortgage
Designed to attract young professionals, empty nesters and those transitioning to Warner Robins who are looking to rent rather than buy, a low-density multifamily development is under construction in Warner Robins.
The Cottages at Warner Robins will offer a mix of lofts, single story and two story cottages situated on 28 acres along the west side of South Houston Lake Road just south of Southside Baptist Church.
Birmingham-based Capstone Communities, a commercial real estate firm that specializes in development, management and construction of student and multifamily housing, built a similar cottage-style development in Huntsville, Alabama, with more in the works.
The Cottages at Warner Robins is a build for rent, new urbanism style of development that includes 251 units and features sidewalks, pocket parks and open green spaces.
“We want The Cottages to provide residents with a sense of community that is unlike the traditional apartment setting,” Amanda Wallis, Capstone Communities’ executive vice president of development, said in a news release.
Build for rent developments are one of the fastest growing trends in multifamily real estate, offering the feel of urban living but without a mortgage or maintenance responsibilities. About 120,000 build for rent starts are expected this year alone, according to industry expert Brad Hunter of Hunter Housing Economics.
Some highlights
The Cottages of Warner Robins were designed by Birmingham-based Nequette Architecture & Design. Here are some highlights:
- The cottages are a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units that include private outdoor yards and patios.
- The cottages boast nine-to-12 foot ceilings, wood-grain flooring and in-unit washers and dryers.
- They also include a smart home technology package, 24/7 on-call maintenance and optional garage parking.
- Other amenities include courtyards with pavilions and grill stations, a clubhouse with a resort-style pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a dog park and valet trash.
Only five miles southwest of Robins Air Force Base, The Cottages at Warner Robins already is extending a warm welcome to military personnel. The cottages offer an alternative to base housing while still offering a community-like setting, according to the release.
“We are excited to give the local and military community an additional housing option where they can call home and create lasting memories,” said Shep Nolen, president of CBI Construction Services. “The Cottages’ central location will give residents easy access to what they need — whether commuting to work, heading to the grocery store or enjoying the area’s attractions — while providing unmatched amenities throughout the property.”
CBI is Capstone’s in-house construction entity and serves as the general contractor for the development.
Berkadia JV Equity & Structured Capital secured the equity partner for this project. Capstone properties, Capstone’s in-house management division, will begin preleasing in the fall.
The first units are expected to be delivered in January 2023, with the development expected to be fully completed by July 2023.
A dissenting voice
While everything may look good on paper, not everybody is happy about the development, noted Robert Everly.
Everly lives on Kathryn Ryals Road, which runs along another side of the development, in a house he built in 1987. Ryals said he and other neighbors hated to see the woods that once graced the back of their properties destroyed.
“I’ve had six deer in my yard,” said Ryals.
Capstone has other cottage-style developments across the southeast.
The Cottages at Old Monrovia in Huntsville, Alabama, are open. The monthly rental ranges from $1,255 to $2,285, according to apartments.com.
Similar developments in the works are located in Daytona Beach, Florida; Summerville, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; Port St. Lucie, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.