First two Highline Apartment units already full

The first two buildings of the new Highline Apartments in Columbia Falls are completed and tenants have been moving in. But if you want to rent an apartment, you’re out of luck — they’re full already.

Even so, a grand opening ribbon cutting of the apartments is planned for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4, with tours of the units, followed by a reception at the Gunsight Saloon. The ribbon cutting is at 6 p.m.

The apartments, which are pet-friendly and some of the more affordable units in the valley, have proven to be very popular, noted developer Brent Brown of Greenway Capital, the Missouri firm which developed the project off Bill’s Lane.

While initial interest in the project was robust, he said projects typically don’t start out with 100 percent occupancy.

Brown said the hope is to get to work on three more units in the coming months, provided they can get city approval.

The apartments were built by Compass Construction, which is owned by Bill Goldberg.

Goldberg has also built several buildings in downtown Columbia Falls.

Work of the first two buildings, which includes 72 units, started last November.

Studio apartments rent for $695, one bedrooms, $875 and two bedrooms $995, said property manager Nikki Lintz.

Each building also has two Americans with Disability Act accessible units.

Studios, since they are smaller, also come with a balcony or patio.

Lintz said about 60 percent of the renters to date have pets. There are some restrictions on the breed and size of dogs, she noted.

All of the units have fully-furnished kitchens, with microwaves and dishwashers and the studio and one bedroom units come with stacked washer-dryer units.

The two bedrooms do not come with washers and driers, but do have hookups for them.

The floors are also made with special tiling, which dampens the sound between units.