THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994 TAG: 9406020344
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARK DUROSE, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
DATELINE: 940604 LENGTH: Long
But many of the properties they visited cost too much, Kim Hirth says. Others fit their price range, but lacked the amenities they wanted.
{REST} The couple finally found the right combination, they say, at the Ghent on the Square apartment complex.
``So far, it's been absolutely great,'' says Hirth, who just finished moving into the two-bedroom unit. They pay $730 a month.
``I was afraid it would be noisy, but it's not at all,'' she says. ``Mainly, the staff is great.''
The Hirths rent one of the 110 units in Ghent on the Square, a luxury complex designed for folks who want an apartment lifestyle near downtown.
``We're so convenient,'' says Gloria Warren, who manages the property for S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. ``We're in a cultural historic downtown district. We have all the fine restaurants and shopping. And Waterside's just down the street.''
Opened four years ago, Ghent on the Square sits on a three-acre site bounded by Granby Street and Llewellyn and Westover avenues. The recently restored Harrison Opera House lies just to the south.
Eight three-story buildings, faced in red brick with white trim, surround the complex's landscaped courtyards and parking lots. Exterior details include tall white columns and black iron railings along outside corridors.
Inside, the one-, two- and three-bedroom units range from 828 to 1,428 square feet, Warren says. They rent from $640 to $850 a month.
Two- and three-bedroom units include two bathrooms, and third-floor units feature vaulted ceilings, she says. Ground-floor tenants have their own small patios, while their neighbors above have narrow balconies.
Apartments include a microwave, ceiling fans, security alarm, cable TV hookup and refrigerator with icemaker. Each also has a washer-dryer hookup - rental appliances are optional - and a fireplace, with the managment supplying free wood.
The focal point of the complex is the recreation center, with its clubhouse, exercise rooms, tennis courts and outdoor swimming pool. A security gate and fences surround the entire community.
Wendell Franklin of S.L. Nusbaum and Stephen Ballard of S.B. Ballard Construction Co. developed the community. Ballard's Norfolk company also built the aparmtments.
At Ghent on the Square, service is a high priority, says Warren, the on-site manager. Maintenance workers serve the complex Monday through Friday and are on call 24 hours a day.
As on-site manager, Warren tends to everything else, she says. She also shares her unit with her son and daughter.
``My job description includes a little of everything - anything from landlord to customer service, maintenance, lawn care and even referee for the residents, though that doesn't come up too often here.''
Warren also holds mail for vacationing tenants and throws occasional parties, she says. She also offers residents a sympathetic ear when asked.
``There were several reasons we chose Ghent on the Square,'' Kim Hurth says. ``A big one was that Gloria was by far the nicest person I talked to the whole week I was looking.''
Hurth, a cat owner, also likes the community's policy on pets: Such animals are allowed, for an additonal $100 deposit and a $10 a month fee.
Lillian Brennaman, who has rented a two-bedroom unit for two years, also praises the friendly management and prompt maintenance staff.
``It's definitely not like your average apartment complex,'' she says.
Though her rent has risen from $695 to $720, she says, Brennaman has no complaints.
``I'll never forget the first time I saw one of these places. It was so nice, so spotless. I couldn't believe they took such good care of the place.
``Everybody who comes to visit thinks it's just the prettiest little apartment around,'' Brennaman says. ``And I like the convenience of it. Everything's close by - the stores, the hospital, the doctor's office.''
Though Brennaman maintains close ties to her native Portsmouth, she expects to stay in her unit for as long as she's able. The reason, she says, is simple: ``I like it here.''
Colleen and Joel Doolin, residents for five months, pay $745 a month for their third-floor unit with two bedrooms and vaulted ceilings.
``We've lived in a lot of apartments, and this is by far the best managed,'' says Colleen Doolin, whose husband is in the military. ``We like everything about living here.''
Besides the management, the community's central location wins praise from Doolin.
``It's close to the base and everything else. You can walk to have dinner, go to the library or even to the grocery store.''
Complaints appear to be few in Ghent on the Square. As for the on-site manager, Warren has only one concern: five of her 110 units are vacant.
``I want them to all be filled,'' she says, smiling, ``so I can relax.''
by CNB