Liberty Apartments in south Cape still set to open in April

Despite an unusually rainy spring and summer, developers of a low-income housing project in Cape Girardeau say construction is on track for the project’s on-time completion in the spring.

Liberty Apartments, an eight-building, 40-unit apartment complex in south Cape Girardeau, is slated to open in April.

Groundbreaking for the $4.5 million project took place six months ago.

“For a while, we thought we’d have to push the opening back to June, but the contractor has been able to catch up, so we’re still looking at a completion date sometime in April, depending on winter weather,” said Melissa Stickel, executive director of the Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri.

The Community Partnership, formerly known as Community Caring Council, is developing the project along with Chad Hartle of RCH Development and Cape Area Community Housing Development Corp.

RCH Development of Jackson will manage the apartment complex and manages similar apartment developments in several other communities.

Double Diamond Construction & Development of Crystal City, Missouri, is the project’s general contractor.

Carpenter Beau Missey of Potosi, Missouri, center right, nails sheetrock to a truss Monday at the future site of Liberty Apartments in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS

Stickel said her office has received “a lot of calls” from people interested in renting an apartment at the complex, but it will be a few months before housing applications will be accepted.

“We will likely start looking for a property manager early in the year and will probably begin taking applications soon after that,” she said.

The complex, in the 1100 block of Walnut Street east of West End Boulevard, consists of seven one-story brick apartment buildings and a community center. Each 865-square-foot apartment will include living, dining and kitchen areas, two bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry facilities. The apartments are expected to rent for around $475 or $500 per month, Stickel said. Some of the units will be ADA accessible.

According to the project’s plans, the community center will feature an open area for large gatherings as well as a “learning center” and an exercise area.

The Missouri Housing Development Commission, the Raymond James Tax Credit Fund and Banterra Bank are providing financing for the project.

Carpenter Jason Inman of Festus, Missouri, left, marks a measurement on a truss Monday at the future site of Liberty Apartments in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS

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