- Since last year, phase 3 of new apartments in St. Johns has been taking place.
- The apartments sit next to Oakland and E Higham streets.
- Video shows the apartments and what they will do for the city.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg. As popularity grows for neighbors visiting downtown, so does the desire to live in the area. That's why one new addition is being made just a few steps from town...
For over four years, St. Johns has been integrating more apartments into the downtown areas—something City Manager Chad Gamble believes is a crucial element in the city's growth.
"When you bring residents to the downtown area, it creates a critical mass of people that can support all of the wonderful businesses choosing to locate in St. Johns. This provides them with a more consistent customer base, reliable patrons during non-peak times, and overall makes the city come alive," said Gamble.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/154eeff/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3456x1948+0+0/resize/1280x721!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbc%2Fe9%2F1ed7889b419d9fbc1aed5a97ca94%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-01-at-1-26-12-am.png)
The new apartment building marks the third and final phase of this complex project. While some neighbors, who wished to remain off-camera, have voiced concerns about the location, Gamble remains confident that a busier downtown will enrich the community.
"Having a vibrant, active community in the downtown area benefits everyone. As a city, we need to understand how these changes will impact downtown operations and continue to address these challenges to welcome people who work, live, and play downtown," said Gamble.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/39ef18f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3456x1940+0+0/resize/1280x719!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F92%2F6d%2F15dcd5b54d359ff7e093f2d2a3f6%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-01-at-1-27-18-am.png)
The building's owner shared that the total cost of the new structure is projected to be 2.7 million dollars, with hopes of welcoming tenants by August 1st.
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