Current and future Auburn residents will soon have a new option for living downtown, as a new condo building is in the works for an existing structure on South College Street. The new downtown Auburn condo complex dubbed “The Whatley,” will be five stories of luxury condos with bottom floor retail and is slated to start construction this spring.
Right across from Auburn University’s campus, the complex will replace the existing Whatley building at 129 S. College Street, which currently houses businesses like Prevail Union coffee shop, the locAL Market and Seoul BBQ. Specifically, the building will be 55 feet wide and 105 feet deep and will house two one-bedroom condos, two four-bedroom condos and two whole-floor units in addition to its bottom floor commercial space. The price range for the condos is mid-$850,000 for a 1,645 square-foot unit to $2.65 million for a 4,450 square-foot unit. According to a Jan. 6, 2018 Opelika-Auburn News article, three residential units have already been reserved.
The complex is touted as “luxury living in the heart of the Village,” with the largest units featuring 3,730 square feet of indoor living space and 820 square feet of outdoor terraces. The largest units also include a study, wine cellar and private master bedroom balcony.
The new downtown Auburn condo complex is the vision of developer Steve Fleming, an Auburn University alumnus who plans to live in one of the building’s units as his retirement home.
“I’m trying to design to bring in people like myself, older folks, retired folks, professors,” Fleming said in a Nov. 12, 2017 article by The Auburn Villager. “I think there are a lot of people that want to live in Auburn that would love to live in a downtown urban location that’s walkable, and we just don’t have that option right now. Everything downtown is basically student housing, which is fine, but I think there needs to be an option for some of us who really love downtown Auburn. This is going to be my residence. This is not going to be my vacation home, my second home. I’m going to live in it permanently as my retirement village.”
Construction is planned to start as early as this spring. Parking for The Whatley will be housed on the former Tiger Rags property that fronts South Gay Street, which Fleming also owns.
This diversity among the types of housing being offered downtown is a welcomed addition to the downtown Auburn real estate scene! Interested in thriving among the excitement and convenience of downtown living? Contact Realtor Ryan Roberts today to learn more. Call Ryan at 334-750-9872, or email [email protected]!
