Enclave West, Edwardsville, IMPACT Strategies Inc.

By KATE GENO

   Enclave West is a brand-new apartment community specifically designed to provide off-campus housing for the students of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Located on 12 acres of land along New Poag Road in Edwardsville, the nine-building complex opened in August.
   IMPACT Strategies broke ground on the $20 million project in October 2012.  The finished complex includes six buildings with four-bedroom units and three buildings with two-bedroom units. With a total of 108 apartments, Enclave West is now fully occupied, project manager Mike Michael said.
   Every building consists of three stories and two stairwells. The four-bedroom apartment buildings are 20,000 square feet each, while the two-bedroom buildings are 14,000 square feet. Each four-bedroom apartment has approximately 1,500 square feet of space.
   The fully furnished apartments feature an open floor plan with lots of windows, Michael says. The living room and kitchen are situated in the middle of the space with the bedrooms surrounding them. There is a laundry room with washer and dryer in every apartment and each bedroom has its own private bathroom. Modern appliances, paint and fixtures have been installed in every apartment, along with energy-efficient HVAC systems and lighting.
   For the residents’ recreation, there is a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse on site that includes a study lounge, a 24-hour fitness center, televisions and a game room. Next to the clubhouse is a resort-style swimming pool and lounge area. There is one acre of green space next to the complex devoted to outdoor gatherings with barbecue grills, picnic tables, two sand volleyball courts and bike racks. A dedicated bike trail also connects the property to the SIUE campus.
   Ample lighting, security cameras and an on-staff security person is evidence of Enclave West’s emphasis on security at the community, Michael said.
   Designed by Tri Architects of St. Louis, the building exterior is a craftsman-style design with reinforced siding and stone accents around the base. The color scheme combines gray-blue and sage green.   
   A new traffic lane and stoplight have recently been installed near the intersection of North University Drive and New Poag Road to improve traffic flow.
   Enclave Capital Management Group is the developer of both Enclave West and its sister property, Enclave, located nearby on Illinois Route 157. The company’s president, Corey Wenzel, is an SIUE alumnus.