CENTRAL PLAZA EYES MAY 2023 OPENING
This artist rendering shows Central Plaza's rooftop lounge and wading pool area, complete with sun chairs and garden areas.
Apartment community will include 19 units, fitness center and rooftop lounge with wading pool
DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE
A 19-unit apartment complex located in a historic Downtown Temple building could have tenants as early as May.
"We are still in the construction process, but we're making progress," said Velan Marimuthu, one of the owners of Central Plaza Apartments. "There's a lot of construction in the immediate area, but we are hoping to start leasing apartments in May."
The Central Plaza Apartments will be located in the historic Professional Building that was built in 1929 at 103 E. Central. The area around the apartment community is teeming with construction and renovation projects.
The city has been upgrading utilities in the area — taking power lines underground — and across the street from Central Plaza, renovation work is continuing on the former Hawn Hotel, Sears building and the Arcadia Hotel. A new parking garage is almost complete nearby, and a new Bird Creek Burgers & Brewery, plus several other businesses are going in all around Central Plaza.
Once complete, Central Plaza will feature loft-style apartments, a basement fitness studio and a rooftop lounge complete with a wading pool, Marimuthu said.
"The first floor of the building will be retail," he said. "We've had lots of interest in ground-floor space, but we haven't made any commitments yet. We want it to be a good fit."
Developers say the outside of the historic building will retain its original look, but the inside will include modern amenities such as the fitness center, a laundry facility and the rooftop area.
"Central Plaza will have a mix of apartment sizes, including 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units," he said. Rates will range from $1,050 to about $2,250 per month, and rent will include twice-a-week trash pickup, basic cable, internet service, and gym and roof access.
The community will have onsite laundry services and $75 per month self-parking in the new garage when available. The 2- and 3-bedroom units will include washers and dryers.
The single bedroom units will average 329 square feet; 2- and 3-bedroom units will average about 980.
"We have a website people can visit to look at floor plans and other details," Marimuthu said. The site is centralplazatemple.com.
Here's a look at the Professional Building when it was occupied by SPJST. The insurance company was located in the building from 1953 to 1971.