By Harley Nefe
DF Multifamily, a division of Drucker + Falk (DF), is a property management company that recently assumed the leasing and management of Rivers Walk, a new apartment community with approximately 7,550 square feet of commercial space for office or retail use that is located just a few steps away from the campus of Appalachian State University and downtown Boone at 144 Poplar Grove Road.
Lisa Narducci Price, Drucker + Falk’s Director of Multifamily Management for the Southeast, said, “Drucker + Falk is excited to begin this journey with Rivers Walk as we feel it brings a new and refreshing way of apartment living to the community of Boone. Rivers Walk is focused foremost on the needs of its future residents and is so excited about the walkability the community provides, the gorgeous interior finishes, and the unique possibilities of this off-campus community.”
The Rivers Walk community is at the former Southern States CoOp building, and Property Manager Megan Adams said the building has been a big project.
“We’ve watched it go from Southern States, which went down, and then we see this huge beautiful building take its place,” Adams said. “It has been amazing to watch and see the change over a short period of time.”
Rivers Walk is currently welcoming residents in phase with the remainder of the community under construction (completion anticipated in April 2021). In phase one, Rivers Walk can accommodate up to 134 residents. Once the entire community is complete, 382 residents will be able to call Rivers Walk home.
Rivers Walk is a mixed-use facility, meaning it has commercial space on the main floor and the residential component above. This is due to the Town of Boone’s Unified Development Ordinance, which contains local regulations concerning the use and development of land and buildings. In Section 15.11.03, it states each project shall provide street level commercial land uses (i.e. retail, office, restaurant) of at least 100% of the street-level floor square footage.
The largest commercial space Rivers Walk has is at the very front of the building with large, showstopping windows. The other spaces go up to 1,300 square feet and most of the commercial spaces have exterior and interior entries.
The Rivers Walk residential area includes 146 apartments including studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom, four bedroom and two-story townhome floor plans and offers individual leases per bedroom.
“We are one of the few, if not the only, apartment community that offers townhomes. They’re a wonderful addition to the downtown area,” Adams said.
The units’ interiors have granite countertops, energy efficient appliances, large vanities in the bathrooms, expansive closets and full-size washers and dryers. Rivers Walk is also pet-friendly and provides fully-furnished suites.
“You can skip the U-Haul and just bring minimal belongings with you,” Adams said. “That’s been nice for students and parents alike because a lot of people are coming from out of town, and they don’t have to bring their entire house with them. They can bring their personal items and they’re set.”
The amenities of the community include a plunge pool with terrace, bike storage, 24- hour fitness center, a residents’ lounge, keyless fob entry, elevators, optional park views, several study zones and workstations peppered throughout the community, and more.
Adams said Rivers Walk caters to students, but there are other residents including young professionals and App State faculty.
Another aspect of Rivers Walk worth noting is its location.
“Our most sought-after feature is our location,” Adams said. “It’s positioned just steps away from the beautiful campus of Appalachian State and one block off King Street. Our location is second to none!”
Much like the rest of Downtown Boone, Adams said parking is a bit of a hurdle for Rivers Walk. There are roughly 188 spaces with some reserved for commercial spaces.
“However, we do have some students who don’t have cars and because our location is ideal, residents can utilize the other avenues in Boone, like AppalCart, and a lot of them walk or ride bikes,” Adams said.
Rivers Walk is currently pre-leasing for Fall 2021. Adams also said because Rivers Walk is new community and they have the availability, they will be able to accommodate an earlier move in for those that move out of their previous apartment on July 31st.
“We can get residents in a little earlier, so that will be helpful,” Adams said. “It probably won’t happen after this year because we’ll be fully-leased, but for this school year, we’ll take advantage of the fact that we have that option and are able to extend this offer to our future residents.”
Adams has been involved with student housing for over seven years, and with Drucker + Falk for almost a year.
Currently, Rivers Walk staff includes Adams and four other individuals who do maintenance and office work. Adams said the staff will grow as needed and as Rivers Walk gains more residents. She further said that she loves her job.
“Student housing is a necessity in Boone,” Adams said. “Additionally, Boone has a need for updated, modern housing. Rivers Walk fills this need.”
For more information about Rivers Walk, visit its website at https://www.RiversWalkApts.com/ or call their friendly leasing associates at (828) 719-3181.
Pictures from the apartment lounge area that residents can use to relax and entertain:
Pictures of the exercise room:
Pictures from one of the apartments:
Megan Adams shows off the commercial space that is being offered for lease:
The back side of Rivers Walk that runs along Boone Creek:
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