Boosting Frankfort’s downtown revitalization, the grand opening of Nickel Plate Flats is Saturday, June 9 from 3-8 p.m. celebrating the development’s 74 amenity-filled apartments at 55 North Jackson Street.
Iron Men Properties Partners Joe Blake and Mike Sandry will be joined by Mayor Chris McBarnes and other city and county leaders for a 4:00 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the building.
The entire community is invited to the grand opening celebration that will include tours of the four-story, 60,000-square-foot structure that offers 11 studio apartments, 43 one-bedrooms, 18 two-bedrooms and two executive suites.
Guests will receive a “point” for attending, can receive an additional “point” for “liking” Nickel Plate Flats on Facebook and receive 25 “points” for leaving a review of the property on Google. Each point increases guests’ chances of winning a large ticket item at the event, along with other prizes.
Refreshments will be served and a live WILO radio broadcast will happen from 3-6 p.m., along with a raffle and door prizes during the event.
Nickel Alley, located immediately south of Nickel Plate Flats is part of the grand opening festivities as well. Transformed from an asphalt-covered dumpster location into a unique, outdoor entertainment space with seating, specialty lighting, beautiful landscaping and music on-demand, the space is available to Nickel Plate Flats residents and community members.
The first development of its kind in Frankfort, Nickel Plate Flats’ amenities package includes granite countertops, Energy Star stainless steel appliances, vinyl plank flooring, modern lighting, ceiling fans, washers/dryers, walk-in closets, on-site parking, housekeeping, 24-hour maintenance, courtyard space, lobby space with an Internet bar, individual balconies and a host of “firsts.”
According to Sandry, the “firsts” are unique to this type of development in Clinton County.
“We understand that today’s modern, urban, downtown renters want streamlined resources that enhance their quality of life. Among other modern perks, Nickel Plate Flats offers electronic vehicle parking with three on-site chargers, on-site resident bike storage with a maintenance station, GigaSpeed fiber optic Internet directly to each apartment, keyless entry for all residents and security cameras throughout the building.
“Using a mobile app, residents can check parking lot capacity and monitor activity around the building in real-time,” Sandry explained. “Safety, convenience and accessibility to resources have huge appeal to our residents.”
Without a new market-rate housing development in more than 25 years, Frankfort’s large industrial workforce has had to look elsewhere for its housing needs.
“Nickel Plate Flats is an ideal living option to fulfill that need while prompting a return to downtown living in Frankfort’s historic courthouse square. In addition to the community’s industrial workforce, we have designed Nickel Plate Flats to be attractive to seniors who want to remain in Frankfort, but no longer want to maintain a home, to young professionals working outside of the City, to couples just starting out who aren’t ready for homeownership yet and to long-term visiting executives and employees who need corporate housing.
“The fact that all but one of our current renters are from outside Frankfort proves a project of this caliber brings new residents into a community,” Blake said.
The development project has been a public/private partnership since its conception with Iron Men Properties and civic leaders collaborating to get the project launched and implemented smoothly.
“We focus on our project investments improving the quality of life in communities to leave them better off than when we started.
“Our teamwork with Mayor McBarnes, the Frankfort City Council, Redevelopment Commission, Clinton County Council and Commissioners, the Chamber of Commerce and Historic Preservation Commission means Nickel Plate Flats is a true community endeavor,” Sandry said. “With all of us listening to each other and planning carefully together, this brand-new housing development has an historic flavor complementary to the courthouse square, blended with a contemporary multi-family format with the finest amenities.”
According to McBarnes, Iron Men Properties’ $7.3 million investment in Nickel Plate Flats is a key piece of the many revitalization activities in Frankfort’s downtown.
“It’s been proven time and time again that ‘momentum builds momentum.’ Since construction began on Nickel Plate Flats, Frankfort has been blessed with several new and expanded downtown businesses and planning is well underway for Prairie Creek Park, the City’s newest recreational green space to be located directly across from the apartments on the north side of Washington Street. More residents living in our downtown means more business activity there. More activity will spur more business growth.
“We believe a high-quality project such as Nickel Plate Flats will help existing industries attract and retain top talent. With its outstanding amenities and proximity to so many attractions in Frankfort, Nickel Plate Flats enhances our quality of place and quality of life; a win-win for all our residents, businesses, the City and Clinton County as a whole,” the Mayor outlined.
Nickel Plate Flats’ model apartment will be available for viewing starting Thursday, May 31.
Rents for the various-size apartments range from $575 – $1,395 per month. Year and shorter-term leases are available. Call 765-605-1245 or email Iron Men Properties Director of Operations Mandy Bunch at [email protected] to schedule an appointment or visit www.nickelplateflats.com for more information.
Reservations can be made for $199, with $100 holding an apartment and $99 covering the application process.