As Eau Claire’s population has grown in recent years – propelling the city to No. 8 in the state – the amount of new housing being built has finally started to catch up. 

A total of 648 housing units were built in Eau Claire last year, according to city statistics, and 469 of those were in multifamily developments. Both of those figures were roughly twice the 10-year average, and the number of multifamily units was the second-highest it had been over the past decade, behind only the 2021 total. All of this explains those construction cranes you've seen across the Eau Claire skyline the past couple of years.

Here is a rundown of some of the most noteworthy apartment projects that are either on the drawing board, underway, or have been recently completed in Eau Claire.

A rendering of the Galloway Flats development. (Submitted image)

Galloway Flats

Address: 2775 Patrick John Drive
Date: June/July and September 2023
Price: $1,550 to $2,600 per month

Galloway Flats, which is described as an upscale two-building apartment development, is under construction just off Galloway Street overlooking the Eau Claire River. Forty units are expected to be complete by June or July, with 22 more ready around September, said Jessica Magnuson, leasing manager for RyKey Properties. The development will feature a fitness center, a community room, a rooftop patio, a dog park, walking trails, and more. The units – which have names like Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond – will be priced between $1,550-$2,600 a month. 

A rendering of the proposed Azure apartment project. (Submitted image)

Azure

Address: 3340 Craig Road
Date: August/October 2023 and mid-2024
Price: $1,350 to $2,200 per month

Azure is another RYKey Properties project, this one at the corner of West Hamilton Avenue and Craig Road, near the Eau Claire Soccer Park. This one will include three buildings, Magnuson said: one with 18 units that will be available around Aug. 1; another 25-unit building ready by October; and finally a 56-unit building set for completion in mid-2024. Units are currently priced between $1,350 and $2,200 a month. 

A rendering of one of the proposed Townhomes at Cannery Crossing. (Submitted image)

Townhomes at Cannery Crossing

Address: 2300 First St.
Date: Uncertain (project requires city approval)

This unique "pocket neighborhood" development was scheduled to go before the City of Eau Claire Plan Commission on March 20, just after this issue went to press. The project, which will be undertaken by Grip Development, will involve 20 three-story twin homes clustered together in the Cannery District, an area on the west bank of the Chippewa River that is currently undergoing development. According to documents submitted to the city by the developer, the townhomes will be built in a modern Craftsman style, and will each feature more than 2,000 square feet of living space and three bedrooms.

"We looked to some of our larger cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago, to ensure that we were bringing a more urban feel to the Cannery District and avoid the suburban cookie-cutter feel to our current neighborhoods," Grip Development said.

Seven1Five

Address: 715 S. Barstow St.
Date: Phase I already open; Phase II this summer
Price: $1,365 to $2,500 per month

This two-building apartment complex has been under construction between South Barstow and South Farwell streets for the past couple of years. Phase I , which included 40 units, was completed last October, and those apartments are currently being leased out, said Hunter Hoversholm, marketing and leasing coordinator for JCap Real Estate, the Eau Claire-based developer.

Meanwhile, work is well underway on the 75-unit Phase II, which overlooks nearby Wilson Park. That building is expected to be completed by June or July.

More JCap Projects

JCap also has two more projects that are expected to begin this year:

The first is a student-oriented housing development in the 700 block of Water Street. "The 700 block will be redeveloped into a two-story, 124-bedroom complex with a level of amenities that hasn't been seen in the Eau Claire student housing market," Hoversholm said. "The building will feature studio and loft apartments, a fitness center, rooftop lounge, study lounges, and other social gathering areas." The project is expected to get underway toward the end of summer or early in the fall, he said.

In addition, JCap is planning a development called the Fountains at Otter Creek, a three-phase development scheduled to break ground this summer. Hoversholm said the first phase of the project, which will be located behind Camping World oN Eau Claire's south side (between U.S. 53 and Interstate 94), will include 52 two-bedroom townhouses, walking trails, and a pond along Otter Creek.