Apartment complex hopes to woo renters with luxury touches

by Robert Boyer - Burlington Times-News

The 350 or so apartments of Windsor Upon Stonecrest will have granite countertops, nickel fixtures and other luxury touches.

The west-Burlington complex is under construction off Rural Retreat Road just west of University Drive.

Its developers hope the combination of luxury and location will separate the near-$30 million project from a glut of local apartment complexes.

The first of Windsor's two phases will have 220 units and be finished in November, says Alex Mitchell, a partner at the Boylan Cos., the Raleigh company developing the project.

The clubhouse is being built first; some units will be ready in August. "It's going to be a very nice, high-end product," Mitchell says. "We'll have a pretty incredible pool and clubhouse package." The pool will feature a 10-foot waterfall. A walking trail will connect Windsor to the University Commons shopping center.

Prospective tenants can choose from four floor plans and one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that range in size from 750 to 1,320 square feet. Rents will run from $750 to $1,095 a month. Boylan has opened a leasing office at 108 N. Williamson Ave. in Elon.

The company is marketing Windsor mainly to young professionals and Elon University students, Mitch ell says. Mitchell estimates the tenant mix will be 75 percent professionals, 25 percent students.

The development of the second phase will depend on how quickly the first-phase apartments rent, but should nevertheless be finished in the spring of 2008, Mitchell says.

Windsor is Boylan's second foray into the Triad. In 2006, Boylan began building the Village at Lake Michael in Mebane. The complex has 185 town-home condominiums.

Burlington is a hidden jewel whose location between the Triad and Triangle and interstate access make it a great choice for development, Mitch ell says.

Boylan has no other Ala mance County projects in the works now, but Mitchell and partner Dusty Field are open to possible future projects.

"We like Burlington (and) Alamance County a lot," Mitch ell says. "It's been a good fit for us."