Lance Vreelande started his apartment search while out to sea. He looked online, planned a budget and emailed apartment managers.
The 23-year-old fire controlman 2nd class wanted to have a place secured by the time his ship pulled into port.
"I figured it would be hard since I wasn't around to check things out and make sure everything was done right," Vreelande said. "Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about any of that."
During his online hunt, Vreelande found The Apartments at Spence Crossing in the Princess Anne section of Virginia Beach.
The development is being built by the Dragas Companies, which is expanding its real estate footprint in the commonwealth's largest city. Construction started in May, and the apartment buildings, with 288 units, are scheduled to be completed at the end of the year. The first tenant took up residence in December.
Vreelande's lease began as a one-bedroom but, after some friends saw the place, he found roommates. The one-bedroom was upgraded to a two-bedroom. Then a few days later, he upgraded to a three-bedroom.
"They never gave me any problems with all the changes I requested," Vreelande said. "They made it all easy."
Vreelande came back from a seven-month deployment, went to the leasing office and picked up his keys, then straight to his new apartment.
"I was living in barracks, and now I am living in this great, brand new apartment," Vreelande said. "What a way to come off deployment."
Spence Crossing offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for rent ranging from $1,280 to $1,675 a month. Garages also are available.
"Spence Crossing is our latest vision for a fresh, modern and livable community that will help meet the demands of a growing region," said Sally Horvath, vice president of sales and marketing with Dragas.
Spence Crossing is set on 23 acres that straddle Independence Boulevard and Princess Anne Road.
The apartments have a pool, a clubhouse and a 24-hour fitness center. There's also a Tot Lot, a playground for kids, and a private dog park.
"The Apartments at Spence Crossing is located in an area that's full of life and activity, but you can also get away from it all here, too," said property manager Holly Frain.
The land, then known as Spence Farm, originally was purchased in 2007 by developer L.M. Sandler & Sons in three transitions for nearly $28.7 million. Its plans for Renaissance Park included 680 homes, 400 apartments, 200,000 square feet of retail space and a 150-room hotel, but it never materialized.
The Virginia Beach-based developer fell behind on land and development loans, and Wells Fargo Bank eventually foreclosed on the property.
The Dragas Companies paid $20.5 million for the site in 2011, which sprawls across both sides of South Independence Boulevard, according to city property records.
Dragas plans to use the rest of its 133-acre property there to build a total of 600 condominiums, townhomes and single-family houses.
The company is designing three- and four-bedroom single-family houses for Hallstead at Spence Crossing and two- and three-bedroom townhouse floor plans for Mallory at Spence Crossing.
The company also has made slight modifications to popular floor plans for the Villas at Fernhill at Spence Crossing and Luxury Villas at Crofton at Spence Crossing.
Dragas is also in the planning stages for a 200,000-square-foot retail and commercial space. The retail space is being developed by the real estate firm CBRE and will include anchor stores and small shops.
"Our goal is to offer a mix of quality retail and service providers that will not only enhance the quality of life for our residents at Spence Crossing but will also add value to this already growing and vibrant section of the city," Horvath said.
Justin Frohock and his girlfriend, Amanda Bruce, are glad they picked The Apartments at Spence Crossing for their first home together.
"The apartment is open and spacious," Frohock said. "The kitchen has all the upgrades I wanted, and everything is brand new."
Frohock said he is already eyeing the new homes Dragas in building in the development. He said he plans on living in the apartment for at least two years, and then, maybe, buying a new home.
"It would make sense for us to continue to live in this area," Frohock said. "This is a great community and a nice area. We want to stay here."
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Other Dragas projects
The Dragas Companies, which has been building in the area since 1968, has three projects under way in Chesapeake:
King’s Point in the Western Branch part of the city is under construction. This condominium community will have one- or two-story homes with two or three bedrooms. The community backs up to a 14-acre forested preservation area and boasts a community pool and clubhouse.
The Grove at the Arboretum is a 112 two-story condominium community in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake. Each home has its own private patio.
Hadley Park is under construction in the Greenbrier area, with “luxury villas” expected to be available in the spring. When complete, the complex will have 92 villas.
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To view
Models for housing at King’s Point and the Grove at the Arboretum in Chesapeake are open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
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Staci Dennis, sdennis@cox.net