What’s under construction on 50 acres along Kellogg between 119th and 135th streets?

There are about 50 acres where dirt work is underway along West Kellogg between 119th and 135th streets, which is across from Paramount Antique Mall, and construction is about to start soon, too.

There are two different uses at the development.

One is Auburn Villas, which will be 150 duplexes for a total of 300 units.

The other is five commercial sites that will run the length of Kellogg in front of the duplexes.

Dwayne Dugan of Classic Real Estate handled the deal on behalf of his family, who sold the ground for the duplexes.

Dugan said he and his family retained approximately 10 acres for the commercial development and will sell the five outparcels on that acreage individually, meaning construction won’t start on those until there are buyers for the properties.

Jay Russell of J. Russell Communities is developing the duplexes with another developer, who prefers to remain unnamed.

Russell said about eight years ago, after a difficult time in the economy, he saw a need for rental properties.

“People have to have a place to live,” he said.

As interest rates are projected to rise, and as construction costs for new homes continue to rise, Russell said there will be an even greater need for rental properties.

“It just pushes that many more people out of the market.”

He said after doing one duplex development more than two decades ago and turning it over for others to maintain, he learned a valuable lesson. Now, Russell keeps control of outside maintenance and landscaping through a company that inspects properties twice a month. The idea is to keep the duplex communities at the same level as the neighborhoods surrounding them, which Russell notes often are his own developments.

A number of the duplexes actually will be detached, meaning neighbors won’t share a common wall. Russell said that cuts down on noise.

Russell said utilities are going in now, paving will be done in April and construction will start in May. The first units will be ready in four to six months.

Russell said he’s done about eight duplex communities in recent years.

“They’re done the proper way.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 4:57 AM.