Scott Baldwin dabbled in real estate during his time as a homicide and narcotics detective in Indianapolis in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Along with the extra freedom, the real estate side of his career gave him and his family great gratification as they showed off newly-finished projects.
Events like Thursday's ribbon cutting at the new Lofts at Union Street for Envoy, of which he is an executive vice president, are no exception.
"When someone moves into a unit, and are nesting and starting to put all of their belongings in, seeing that excitement that we've created, and seeing that they like the space that they live in, is the most exciting and rewarding piece," Baldwin said.
Civic leaders were given a tour of the newly-finished units above the parking garage on North Union Street, just across from where the new YMCA building is being pieced together brick by brick.
The newest apartments added to the city also had Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight excited. Nearing the end of his second term as mayor, the lofts are one of many public-private partnerships the city has undertaken during his tenure.
"The whole idea is to try to attract new people to our community — that's good economic development," Goodnight said. "We have to have a wide array of housing options. High-end apartments, moderately-priced apartments, small homes and large family homes as well. And this just adds another dimension to our city."
The lofts feature 35 units, including studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments with several different configurations. Sizes range from 700 to 1,100 square feet.
The facility features surveillance security. Key fobs are used for entry into the building and individual unit doors. Reserved spaces on the top floor of the garage give tenants a place to park their vehicles, and there's even electric car plug-ins and bicycle storage units.
"The planning for the project started back in 2013, and that seems like a long time, but I would like to say that's a testament to the dedication and thoughtful contemplation from the team that put it all together," Baldwin said. "The team was determined to make The Lofts a success — not just another project, but a project fitting of this city's history and a tribute to Kokomo's growth and commitment to a vibrant downtown."
Baldwin explained the project was a complex one because the team and property was bound on all four sides by active thoroughfares, including three roadways. Union Street was shut down during most weekdays to keep the public out of harm's way while the project was going on. Parking also had to be relocated during the construction of the garage, and the Downtown Farmers Market found a new home on Mulberry and Washington streets. It once called the corner of Union and Sycamore streets home.
"We had to keep in mind a really rigid timeline and coordination with this exciting project next door," Baldwin said of the YMCA. "They had a start date [and] we had to hit [completion]. We had an alley full of utilities. Everything under the sun was in that alley, and it all had to be coordinated. We had a horribly wet and snowy winter, the worst winter imaginable for trying to build anything, let alone a five-story facility with all this concrete. There were subterranean conditions with unsuitable soils. ... It took a lot of coordination, and it may seem like I am belaboring that point, but I am really understating it."
Baldwin added about half of the units have been leased at this point, just one month into receiving its certificate to occupy. The majority of the new tenants previously did not live in the city.
"We were hoping for that to be the case for at least part of these," Goodnight said.