Silverleaf Apartments

When a developer wants to push through a project of this scale, it takes a neighborly approach.

Silverleaf Apartments is a 158-unit state-of-the-art apartment complex built into a hillside overlooking a bustling intersection in Springfield, Missouri.

Located at Republic Road and West Bypass in Green County, OWN, Inc. worked hand-in-hand with local architecture firm Baron Design & Associates, to ensure the design on this challenging lot was as efficient as can be.

Initially, neighbors objected as the development also included a commercialized outlot with an access road for strip mall. Complicating matters, neighboring cities argued as to which boundary the property fell within. And even more of a chore: the large footprint required extensive earth moving and rock removal.

Obstacles aside, services for this project included site design of a commercial lot, public improvement plan for stormwater, and sanitary sewer.

How can you put people at ease?

In this case, OWN helped the client with a thoughtful layout that maintained a 100-foot tree-filled buffer zone between the apartment and the adjacent subdivision. The design also gave consideration for a natural spring on the property. Next, a retaining wall design by the OWN Geotechnical Engineering team on the Northeast side of property helped create space for an on-site pool and pickleball courts.

OWN conducted plenty of coordination with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for driveway access to both the dwellings and the outlot for future commercial expansion.

Throughout the build, OWN also provided construction staking, and the sewer main required an 1,100-extension to gain service from an adjacent run.

This project took the best efforts of the entire OWN team. A challenging lot, coupled with a challenging set of circumstances in the neighborhood, made for some contentious moments. But in the end, a thriving new apartment complex added vitality to the neighborhood. And thanks to the buffer zone of trees – the neighbors hardly even notice.