West Cedar Rapids apartment complex starting to take shape

Construction has begun on the first phase of a new apartment complex on the bluffs above the Cedar River west of Edgewood Road NE.

The Bluffs on the River Apartments, 2415 River Bluff Dr. NW, will be built in four phases. Ground was broken in mid-April for the 48-unit, three-story brick building with underground parking.

The initial phase of Bluffs on the River will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with luxury kitchens and bathrooms. Completion is expected in February.

The Cedar Rapids office of Knutson Construction was awarded the contract for the $5.5 million project.

Caleb Mason, housing redevelopment specialist with Cedar Rapids Housing Services office, said Bluffs on the River  eventually will have 168 apartments.

A study of the housing market and projected demand commissioned by the city of Cedar Rapids and released in July 2012 found pent-up demand for new market rate and subsidized apartments.

The report by Maxfield Research of Minneapolis also found that rents have increased very little in the Cedar Rapids area - including Hiawatha and Marion - since September 2011. Of those apartment complexes that had raised rents, rent increases were generally less than 3 percent.