Expanding into the Florida market, South Carolina-based Sands Cos. has announced plans for a new build-to-rent (BTR) development in Gainesville. The 22-acre site in a Gainesville suburb will include 212 one-, two-, and three-bedroom cottage-style apartment homes ranging from 510 to 1,693 square feet.
First introducing detached, horizontal apartments in 2014, Sands is bringing the model it has used in the Carolinas and Georgia to the Florida market to accommodate its growth. Gainesville has experienced 13.5% population growth from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and unemployment was at only 2.8% in August of this year.
“We were aggressively targeting opportunities to expand into Florida, and Gainesville is the perfect submarket to do so,” Sands president Joe Morrison says. “Gainesville’s demographics, particularly when it comes to job and population growth, are similar to the Sun Belt areas we currently develop in. We continue to pursue site acquisitions throughout Florida.”
Interior features of the cottages include chef-inspired kitchens, stainless steel appliances, white cabinetry, granite countertops, in-home washer and dryer units, walk-in closets, and designer lighting packages and ceiling fans. Certain units will also offer large kitchen islands, kitchen pantries, dual sinks in primary bathrooms, attached garages, and private fenced-in yards.
Only 15 minutes from the Gainesville Regional Airport and 11 miles from downtown Gainesville, the community will have extensive amenities, including a 5,000-square-foot resident clubhouse; private workstations; a state-of-the-art fitness center with interactive fitness mirrors and a flex room; a resort-style pool with a sundeck; cabanas; an outdoor fire pit; and an outdoor kitchen with grills.
