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| Bob Batt, Grand Island Mayor Jeremy Jensen, Jerry Slusky |
(The Independent, by Andrew Carpenean) Sterling Apartments’ newest buildings were unveiled with a Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting last week.
The
two new buildings on Capital Avenue west of Highway 281 will add 66
apartments and an elevator, said Bob Batt and Jerry Slusky, owners of SB
Communities.
Batt said he and
Slusky visited Grand Island in 2012 to investigate the need for
multi-family housing in the community. They found a “severe shortage.”
“We did a market survey and found that Grand Island was an ideal market because there was a lot of pent-up demand,” Batt said.
They found land on Capital Avenue and began to develop a plan for their apartment complex, which opened in 2013.
“We
built in the first three phases, 156 units of studio, one-bedroom,
two-bedroom and three-bedroom, along with a clubhouse with all the
amenities of a movie room, kitchen and a workout center, along with a
swimming pool,” Batt said. “We gave our customers what they wanted.”
“So we tried to redesign and rethink the way people want apartments,” Batt said.
He said he and Slusky found Grand Island to be a great town to do business and a community with a strong economy.
“It is a good place to live,” Batt said.
After completing their initial units, he said, he and Slusky wanted to create something new in apartment living.
“So what we built here is two, 33-unit buildings with a central elevator core,” Batt said.
Connecting
the two buildings with the central elevator core gives seniors and
people with physical disabilities access to the second and third floors.
“We
wanted to give them what we feel was needed,” Batt said. “If people
want to move from the country or sell their house, this is a place for
seniors. You can come and have a secure place with a secure entry.”
“We have been overjoyed with our success here,” he said.
The
new units were planned out over a year with construction beginning last
year. The ribbon cutting celebrated the opening of the first 33-unit
building with plans to open the second building in June.
The new two buildings will have an exercise room and a small community room.
“People
want to live on their own and go to a central social point, whether you
are 20 years old or 60 years old, and then come back home again and
enjoy your peace,” Batt said.
He said the studio apartments, which are designed for one person, are their most popular offering.
The
buildings also contain what Batt called “tuck-under garages,” where
people can park their cars and then exit straight into the apartment
building.
He said the garages
built into the apartment buildings are not only convenient but also
provide safety and keep vehicles out of the elements. It’s an optional
feature.
Another feature of the Sterling Apartments, Batt said, is that they are “pet-friendly.”
“A lot of people here have dogs and cats,” he said.
Batt’s grandmother was Rose Blumkin, widely known as Mrs. B, who founded Nebraska Furniture Mart.
“She
taught me something,” he said. “When you have good fortune, do another
act of charity and pay it forward. I learned that a long time ago.”
As
they did when the first units of Sterling Apartments were completed,
the owners showed their appreciation to Grand Island by donating $1,000
to the Central Nebraska Humane Society.
“Our
customers are pet lovers, so we kind of want to pay it forward, be
responsible and give back to the community,” Batt said. “Grand Island
has been terrific. You can’t say enough about this community because
they know how to do business.”
SB
Communities have existing apartment complexes in Omaha and Bellevue,
but the Grand Island complex is the first they’ve built from the ground
up.
While Batt said they don’t
build beyond the community’s market capacity, they do own more land in
the Sterling Apartments complex to build more units when there’s a
demand.