The construction of two apartment complexes anticipated to begin in the spring will add 199 apartment units within three blocks of the SDSU campus.
One building, called Latitude 44, is planned to be constructed on the vacant lot between the Lofts at Park Hill and the Sixth Street Centre. James Drew, president of Clark Drew Construction said it will be a four-story building consisting of about 115 units, including studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
The building’s name, Latitude 44, refers to the geographical latitude of Brookings.
Drew explained the amenities this Sixth Street apartment building will have, such as main-level heated and cooled parking, a gym, an outdoor patio on the fourth floor and a community room for parties and events.
The west end of the building will also feature space for businesses like a potential neighborhood pub and grill, which is currently in talks. Drew expects construction to take 16 to 18 months and estimates the apartments opening in late 2026.
The second building will be on Campanile Avenue, just to the north of BankStar Financial and be called Paragon. The five-story building will consist of 84 units.
Similar to Latitude 44, the Paragon building will have main-level heated and cooled parking. It will feature efficiency, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, have a second-floor outdoor grilling and patio area, rooftop patio, exercise room, and a community room.
Unlike the empty lot where Latitude 44 will be built, Paragon requires several houses to be moved. Drew said those houses will be relocated in the spring and construction will likely begin in the late fall, with construction expected to take about 16 months.
“I think it’ll be great for students looking to live off campus,” said Jenna Batka, an SDSU student. “It’ll give us a little bit of breathing room to consider options and maybe not feel forced to make a rental decision right away if there’ll be more options and availability.”
The close proximity to campus also is appealing to students.
“For me, it just comes down to the three L’s of real estate – location, location, location,” Samson Flakus said.
Mike Struck, community development director for the city of Brookings, said he is excited the new construction will provide more options for SDSU students.
“It also will hopefully attract more food options to come in close proximity (to campus), which would not only benefit the students, but also the community as a whole,” Struck said.
While it might seem like there’s lots of land for building projects, Brookings faces a unique challenge, Struck said. Construction and development in Brookings is difficult because of the floodplain. He said it’s important to build up instead of out in order to maximize the space available. Thus, multi-story apartment complexes such as the ones planned become a solution.
Rent costs for the buildings haven’t been worked out yet, but Drew said he expects rent to be in line with market rates.
Students, meanwhile, are hopeful that more options are on the way.
“As a student looking to live off campus in the future, it is something to know there will be more options available to me,” Grant Fritz said.
Drew said the housing market in Brookings has been tight for quite some time. The need is definitely there, but it is a challenge to find suitable sites by the university that will allow companies to put up a building like these.
“To have these two properties available for this type of housing is pretty amazing, and we’re excited to begin these projects,” Drew said.
