The project has been a few years in the making, but the renovated Leewood Apartments are finally ready for renters. The apartments located on 9th Street in the southwest part of Britton have been undergoing major work since 2021 and though the project ran into many speedbumps, the property owner, HME Companies, says they are complete and looking for tenants.
The new spiffed up apartment building has a long history in Britton. According to Britton Economic Development Corps. President Tom Farber who has blueprints from the building, it was erected in the early 70s as a Housing and Urban Development property. The building was owned by Bob Marx but eventually fell into disrepair. By 2001, there were no residents, and the building sat empty for the next decades.
The Leewoods’ second chance at life came thanks to a serendipitous turn of events involving Farber. He said that in 2020 he was presenting about the newly renovated loft apartments he owns on Main Street at a state housing meeting. “The organization asked me to present on a ‘problem child’ involving housing in our community and I brought up the Leewood apartments,” Farber explains.
Farber and others had long observed that housing is a concern in Britton, which can af-fect the workforce. “Lack of housing is an issue faced by most South Dakota communities including Britton,” says Lindsey Kimber, Executive Director of Glacial Lakes Area Development. “We have a finite number of available houses and apartments. This makes it very difficult for residents who are looking for different housing options and businesses trying to bring new people to our area.”
Farber added that Horton, Inc. in Britton had also expressed concern with the lack of housing. Because of this, he felt compelled to share the Leewood Apartment opportunity. “I thought that the building was too promising just to tear down even though it had sat empty for almost twenty years,” he said.
Still, Farber admits that he was surprised when the company SLH Holdings of Brookings jumped at the opportunity to renovate the Leewood. The next steps happened quickly. Representatives from the group visited with the Britton City Council. They noted that they were willing to spend over a million dollars gutting and redoing the apartment building. The plan was to construct 16 apartments (going from 18 units).
SLH asked that the city have some ‘skin in the game’ however and if they would be willing to purchase the land and building and gift it to the company. The council was agreeable to that idea. In December of 2020, the council agreed to purchase the apartments for $70,000 plus some back taxes. They were eventually turned over to SLH. HME Management, a subsidiary of SLH, went to work on renovating the building starting in early 2021.
Tony Brallier, a Division Manager at HME and the property manager of the Leewoods, says the project became a bigger undertaking than they could have imagined over the next couple of years. There were many times when they had to pause for long periods of time as they waited for supplies and equipment. Some electrical supplies took over a year to arrive.
After all the effort though, Brallier says the building which is now move-in ready has turned into something special that the community can be proud of. The apartment has 16 units: a single one bedroom, 13 two bedroom and two three bedroom units. They are clean and contemporary looking with many modern amenities. There is keyless entry for each unit and rooms are independently heated and cooled. Each apartment has its own washer and dryer. Window coverings are provided and pets are even allowed for an increased rate. There is no charge for water, garbage and sewer though the tenant pays electric.
The three-bedroom units rent for $925 per month and the two bedrooms are $875. Brallier adds that they are running a promotion for new tenants who sign a 12-month lease on a two-bedroom unit for the reduced rate of $800 a month.
Local officials think the new apartments will be a boon to the area. “Housing is economic development,” said Farber. “You have to have quality housing to attract people to work in your town. And these days, they are looking for nicer places, especially young people. The Leewoods will help fill this need.”
“The opening of the apartments and adding additional one, two, and three-bedroom options will help to support the economic growth and stability in the area,” added Kimber.
Anyone interested in touring the new apartments or learning more about them can reach out to Brallier at 605651-8788 or tony@hmemanagement. net. Brallier added that they are also planning an-
