After Johnson County office demand moved south, Ken Block wondered what to do with the 16.5 acres of undeveloped ground his firm owned northeast of 83rd Terrace and Quivira Road in the Pine Ridge West Business Park.
Block, the managing principal of Block Real Estate Services LLC, eventually decided to give that part of Lenexa something it hasn’t seen for about 20 years: a new apartment complex.
The resulting Waterside Residences on Quivira, a 377-unit luxury apartment project, won’t be completed until October 2017. But the first of its 10 buildings was opened for occupancy earlier this month.
Designed by NSPJ Architects and constructed by Titan Built, the community is surrounded on three sides by low-rise commercial buildings. But it lives up to its name with its new heated, saltwater, resort-style pool plus three interconnected ponds just east of it. The ponds were added years ago as a business park amenity and for stormwater detention but are now circled by paved pathways for the enjoyment of residents.
Apartments at Waterside include one-bedroom units that range in size from 640 to 967 square feet and in price from $915 to $1,190 a month. Two-bedroom rents start at $1,220 for a 969-square-foot unit and range up to $2,300 for the 1,346-square-foot penthouses. Those fourth-floor, pool/pond-facing units each include two bedrooms, including a master with a 14-foot-high vaulted ceiling; two baths; and a den.
Free surface parking is available to all renters, while carports and spaces in the garages attached to all buildings are available for an additional charge. Storage units and valet trash service are among other extras for which there are upcharges.
But a wide array of luxury features come standard in every apartment at Waterside. They include upscale finishes, high-end kitchen appliances, full-size washers and dryers, balconies or patios, walk-in closets, wood-plank flooring, and numerous energy-efficiency and technology features.
Community amenities include a clubhouse and grounds where two things are noticeably absent: smoking and dog poop.
Lorrieann Mathews, manager for the new apartment community, said smoking is not allowed anywhere on the property and that all dog droppings must be picked up. To ensure compliance, Waterside Residences on Quivira has contracted with a service called PooPrints, which performs DNA cheek swabs on all new dogs joining the community so that errant poop on the premises can be traced to the offending dogs and their masters.
While no dog’s poop can go unscooped at Waterside, that’s not to say pooches aren’t pampered there. The grounds include a fenced dog park with agility course, and the clubhouse includes a pet spa with dog-wash facilities and a visiting groomer.
Other clubhouse features include a spacious lobby with billiards table and huge see-through fireplace; a chef’s kitchen with dining area, which residents can reserve with a refundable deposit; the Parcel Lounge, which includes 24-hour parcel pickup service; a state-of-the-art fitness center with spin, yoga and Zumba classes, online fitness routines, and personal training; a Media Lounge with computers that residents can use; a bike repair station with bicycles residents can borrow; massage therapy and tanning rooms; a 24-hour cantina; a coffee bar; and concierge services.
Ramping up the local apartment amenities war, Waterside is also planning to add an outdoor feature that is likely to be unique in the metro: a pickleball court.
Other features of the property, Mathews said, include storm shelters in four of the buildings; hot tubs, outdoor TVs, cabanas and a covered grilling area around the resort-style pool; and three more things: location, location, location.
Waterside Residences is located just a 12-block drive down Quivira from Oak Park Mall and provides quick access to Interstates 35 and 435 via 87th Street Parkway.
Mathews said the prime location is the main reason why many of those starting to lease at Waterside are empty-nesters and others who were already living in Lenexa and loving it.
