East Texas Business

By GREG JUNEK
Business Editor

Perhaps the best place to take in this weekend's Texas State Open is from a unit at The Stretford at The Cascades.

You might not be able to follow the results very closely, but the overview of the course will be spectacular and the air-conditioning will keep you cool.

In fact, the view of The Cascades golf course is an important draw for the 14-story, 82-unit condominium complex, built alongside the course. However, Cindi Featherston-Shields, owner of ERA Real Estate and marketing agent for The Stretford, said, the carefree lifestyle is the major reason people are interested in living there.

"It's kind of an exclusive place," she said. "You could actually come live here, and with all the amenities and services you would never have to leave your place. We have lifestyle management services, we can even go to the grocery store for people."

It also provides housekeeping services. Residents who drive up to The Stretford have the door opened for them, Ms. Featherston-Shields said, and the building has a very sophisticated security system.

It has a spa room, a club room, a fitness center and an indoor saltwater swimming pool.

And then there are all the chores associates with life around the house that are not part of life around the condo.

"I think what draws people here is just the fact that it's a maintenance-free lifestyle," Ms. Featherston-Shields said. "You don't have grass to mow. We have trash chutes that people put their trash in on each floor. You can lock your door and leave and go on vacation."

Not all residents leave their old homes for good. Some also own other homes and use The Stretford as a second or third home.

The high-rise opened in February, and about half of the units are sold. Ms. Featherston-Shields said interest has been about 50 percent local, 50 percent out of town.

Units come in two basic floor plans - 1,964 square feet and 2,329 square feet. The penthouse level and sub-penthouse level units are 4,300 square feet.

Floors 1-6 are already configured to the two basic floor plans.

"But if you get the 10th floor, you can arrange the unit however you would like," Ms. Featherston-Shields said. "If you want to put the walls in different places, you can do that."

Finish-out work is still being performed above the sixth floor, she said. When a buyer determines the floor plan he or she wants, it takes about 60 days to finish out the unit.

Units range from about $380,000 to about $1.6 million.

Talk of The Stretford dates back at least five years.

A development partner of The Cascades took an original high-rise apartments request to the city of Tyler and received zoning approval. Then the land, which was at one time part of The Cascades property, was sold to the limited partnership, where developers modified the plans from 240 apartments to 72 condo units and added two stores to make the total 14.

Three years ago, the construction was estimated to be about $18 million.

"We're not part of The Cascades, so to speak," Ms. Featherston-Shields said. "We can give you a membership; it's an optional membership to be a member of The Cascades, but it's not required like it would be if you lived in The Cascades."

The Stretford at The Cascades appears to rise from The Cascades golf course in this photo taken last week prior to the Texas State Open. The golf course view is an important attraction for potential condo owners.
((Staff Photo By Tom Turner))