ARTICLE
With construction nearly finished and tenants moving in, officials from Woodmont Properties marked the opening of its newest upscale apartment community in the Greater Lehigh Valley with a ribbon cutting for the property's clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon. The New Jersey-based firm said Woodmont Ridge in Upper Macungie Township is more than 80 percent leased and is its third community in the region, joining one in Bethlehem and another in Palmer Township. “We are leasing the final phase,” said Stephanie Smith, senior property manager for Woodmont Properties. “None of our apartments are traditional. It’s modern and upscale.” With 288 one- and two-bedroom apartments, offering eight floor plans ranging from 820 to 1,185 square feet, the community is built in a circular formation with a walking path in the center. Amenities include a pool with sun deck, barbecue terrace with a fire pit, a resident’s lounge, game room, strength and cardio center, fitness studio with virtual classes on demand, business center and an indoor pet spa, all elements that officials say are included in rent and in demand by residents. The mix of residents skews to both millennials looking for a place to live without the added upkeep and maintenance of owning a house and older boomers looking to downsize. “We do have a preferred employer program; we partner with local businesses,” Smith said. Woodmont Ridge has drawn interest from executives at Amazon, Air Products, Lutron, Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s, all large organizations in the area whose employees receive an incentive to move to Woodmont, she said. Another Woodmont upscale property is under construction in Lower Macungie Township; the first delivery of buildings for that project is expected in June, she said. “It will be similar to this,” Smith said. “The clubhouse will be almost identical to here.” While proposals for luxury apartments are becoming more common at planning boards, five years ago, they weren’t, said Stephen Santolla, executive vice president and general counsel for Woodmont Properties. “We built our first Lehigh Valley community in 2007,” Santolla said. “We’ve really never looked back. We really love it here.” While he said the firm is always looking for more potential projects in the Valley, it does not have any in the pipeline. He estimated total construction cost for Woodmont Ridge, including site work, is about $38 million. The firm used its internal construction firm and hired Sonnenfeld + Trocchia Architects of Holmdel, N.J., and Lehigh Engineering LLC of Pottsville to complete the project. Construction should be fully complete by spring, said Lewis Zlotnick, executive vice president. He noted that the location, which had once been a field, adds value to the project. Situated off Werley Road, the community is near West Tilghman Street with direct access to Interstates 78 and 476 and Routes 309 and 22. Zlotnick said he was pleased with the fast pace of leasing at the property, with 215 apartments rented. Aside from the resort-type amenities, the apartments at Woodmont Ridge include gourmet kitchens with quartz countertops and energy efficient stainless steel appliances, while the master bathrooms have dual sinks and an oversized shower or bathtub. Each apartment also has a washer and dryer. Monthly one-bedroom rents start at $1,230 and go up to $1,305. Two bedroom units start at $1,405 and go up to $1,550. Residents have an electronic key fob to gain access to the buildings and some of the buildings include elevators. The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted the event inside the clubhouse, which includes an attached, permanent model apartment. Read the original article here.