Debrecht Properties will soon begin building its second upscale apartment complex in Festus after gaining the rezoning it needed, said Lorenzo Debrecht, the company’s chief operating officer.
The 168-unit Legion Apartments will be built on property Debrecht Properties purchased in February from American Legion Post 253 at 849 American Legion Drive. That 11-acre property neighbors the post’s remaining property.
Jeremy Day, post commander of the American Legion post, said the organization sold the property to Debrecht Properties for $356,000.
Debrecht said construction will start as soon as possible, adding that a target for opening the apartment complex has not been set.
“I don’t really have a move-in date yet,” he said.
The Festus City Council voted 6-0 on Sept. 23 to approve Debrecht’s request to rezone 9.88 acres of the property from B-1 (local business) to R-4 (multiple dwelling). Jim Collier of Ward 1 and Staci Templeton of Ward 2 were absent from the meeting.
Debrecht said the Legion Apartments will offer similar amenities as the company’s first upscale apartment complex in Festus, the West Village Apartments, which include 200 units on a 15.62-acre tract at the southwest corner of Hwy. A and South Truman Boulevard. The complex includes both one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a swimming pool, a fitness center and a dog park.
He said the complex still has units available for rent. The apartments feature granite countertops, 9-foot ceilings, 18-foot patios and granite in the bathrooms.
The Legion Apartments will offer the same kinds of features, but also will have a number of larger apartments, Debrecht said.
“We are adding three-bedroom apartments,” he said. “About 20 (of the 168 apartments) will be three-bedroom (with two bathrooms).”
Debrecht said the Legion Apartments may offer other amenities.
“We might do a playground or a pickleball facility,” he said.
Debrecht said the monthly rental for the Legion Apartments will be the same as for West Village, where prices start at $1,350 a month for one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments and $1,650 a month for two-bedroom, two bathroom apartments.
He said the monthly rent for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments has not yet been determined, but he believes it will be about $1,800 or $1,900.
Debrecht said he believes his company is filling a need for high-end apartments in Festus.
“There’s just going to be a lot of growth in the next three to five years in Festus,” he said.
Festus City Administrator Greg Camp said the Debrecht projects reflect well on the city.
“I think it really speaks to how attractive Festus is as a place to live and shows the need for diverse types of dwellings,” he said.
For more information, visit westvillagefestus.com or call 314-624-2016.
Day said the American Legion post was no longer using the property it sold to Debrecht.
“We had a shooting shack and a shooting range on the property. We stopped using it as a shooting range back in 2022,” he said. “We were interested in selling our property behind the Legion post. As commander, I was put pretty much in charge of the sale. We just gave up part of the post property.
“We sold it through auction, Harris (Real Estate & Auction) of Kentucky. It was time to sell. We didn’t need it. There were also insurance implications.”