On Tuesday night, the Bainbridge City Council approved a rezoning that will pave the way for a new apartment complex to be built in the eastern part of the city.
The City Council unanimously approved a rezoning request from Ronnie Cox to re-zone 1.16 acres off Caroline Street, which is near the intersection of Whigham Dairy Road and Shotwell Street, from highway commercial (HC) to urban residential (UR-12).
Cox, who co-developed some apartment homes off Caroline Street several years ago, plans to build 14 additional units on the 1.16 acre parcel. Because of the smaller land size, the apartments will be constructed as part of two 2-story buildings that will share a central parking lot. Some of the apartments will have three bedrooms and two baths, and others will have two bedrooms and two baths.
Cox wrote in his application for rezoning that he plans to begin construction of the new apartments soon after the request was granted. Cox is partnering with Charlie Hand of Hand Construction Company to build the new 14 units.
Assistant City Manager Roy Oliver said members of the Planning Commission cited the need for additional housing in Bainbridge when the commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning. Cox himself wrote that the growth of Bainbridge State College’s enrollment was one of the factors behind his plans to construct new apartments. Cox’s properties off Caroline Street, which are just east of the Bainbridge oil terminals and south of a railroad track, have been on the market for a number of years without much commercial development interest, he wrote.
Cox also formerly owned the restaurant space that is located off Frontage Road, just south of the planned apartments.
Be the first to comment