Gilbert considers large apartment complex near SanTan Village

A Southern California developer's plans for a 382-unit apartment complex near SanTan Village would give Gilbert its first new multifamily housing in several years.

If approved, SanTan Village Apartments would rank as the fourth-largest complex in Gilbert and could bring 1,000 new residents to town.

The apartment complex is proposed near the southwestern corner of Ray Road and SanTan Village Parkway, adjacent to the Legado Hotel and SanTan Elegante conference center.

Del Mar, Calif.-based LWI Advisory Group brought its plans to the town's Design Review Board in a study session last month.

The development would consist of two- and three-story buildings and offer a fitness center, wireless Internet lounge and resort-style pool.

An outdoor living room would include kitchen facilities, a fireplace, table tennis and big-screen TVs.

The architecture would be "contemporary Southwestern style" with pitched roofs and a desert color scheme.

SanTan Village Apartments would also incorporate design elements from a handful of surrounding buildings. Towers from the Legado Hotel, arches from Dillard's department store and rectangular blocking from Dick's Sporting Goods are represented in the apartment buildings' design, according to a town staff report.

Town officials are concerned, however, that the hodgepodge of architectural influences does not create a "cohesive design," the report says.

LWI Advisory Group's portfolio includes several high-end projects in Southern California and metro Phoenix.

Over the past 10 years, the company's principals have developed or renovated more than 6,000 multifamily units, according to its website.

Most of the company's activity is in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange County, but LWI also has projects at Chauncey Ranch in Phoenix and the Zanjero mixed-use development in Glendale, just north of Westgate City Center.

by Parker Leavitt The Arizona Republic Jul. 22, 2011 02:08 PM




Gilbert considers large apartment complex near SanTan Village