A new state-of-the-art apartment complex with a unique business angle recently opened its doors near Innovation Square.
Trimark Properties hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for Savion Apartments, built near the Southwest Fifth Avenue basin improvements adjacent to Innovation Square.
Trimark owner John Fleming said the complex was specifically designed for and targeted at students and young professionals who want to stay connected with the startup scene.
With that audience in mind, he said the complex follows a New York loft theme, evidenced by the retro color scheme, open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling windows. He calls it “transitional housing.”
It’s also the test site for GRU’s first remote meter reading system. The utility company can read the complex’s meters from its downtown facility and can turn the meters off and on remotely. In turn, residents can log in online to track their usage.
Many of the views from the five-story complex overlook old buildings, flat roofs with pooled water and old power lines. But Fleming said as Innovation Square grows up in the area, the views will improve.
County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson said the development is already a testament to the area’s progress.
Pinkoson said he previously worked at a nearby ophthalmology lab for three decades. During that period, he said, police officers used the lab’s parking lot as a site for prostitution stings. He gestured behind him to indicate where a body was recovered, and then he pointed to his right. “There used to be crack houses over there,” he said.
But with the rise of Innovation Square and and development that lends support to it such as Savion, he said he’s thrilled to see the transformation.
The complex is fully booked, and residents will begin moving in the last week of July.
