The developer of the planned $18 million, 99-unit Cannery Lofts apartments at 224 N. Main St. now is working on getting the parking he needs to move forward with the project.
Developer Gary Hassenflu plans to build two seven-story apartment buildings behind the historic “Duffy” building at 224 N. Main St. About 5,000 feet of the historic building is planned to be a restaurant or brew pub, although no tenant has been signed yet, said Hassenflu, who works at Garrison Development Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, and Brighton Housing LLC.
Brighton Urban Renewal Authority members plan to negotiate a land lease with the Union Pacific Railroad to create a parking lot behind the project. The railroad owns the property located south of the development.
Negotiations with the railroad company are expected to wrap up soon, said Ryan Johnson, assistant director of BURA. The authority plans to pay for the lease, although an exact amount has yet to be agreed on, Johnson said. Hassenflu has agreed to reimburse 20 percent of the authority’s lease payments annually, according to BURA documents. He also plans to reimburse 50 percent of the cost for site operation and maintenance, which is expected to include snow removal and landscaping, according to the documents.
A Union Pacific Railroad spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
The urban renewal authority plans to contract with the City of Brighton for maintenance, Johnson said.
The lease agreement with the railroad is just one of many steps needed for the project to get started, Hassenflu said.
Community development and city planning staff currently are reviewing construction drawings and a final plat for the project, Johnson said. City council is slated to take action on the development agreement in November, he said.
In 2017, Brighton Housing LLC will need to obtain a building permit and the urban renewal authority will finish negotiating the lease, Johnson said.
“It’s on our to-do list to be able to get that lease wrapped up with the railroad and bring that forward so it’s in place in time for the developer to go out and start moving dirt,” he said.
The first two levels of the apartment building are planned to be a parking garage. The top five levels would be “loft” apartments with high ceilings and sound-proofing. They’re expected to rent from $1,300 to $2,200 per month, Hassenflu has said.
The sliver of property where Cabbage Street intersects with North Main Street will include concrete park benches and flower boxes, Johnson said. A fence is also planned to be constructed behind the apartments to keep people away from the active railroad lines.