DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE. The proposed Galloway Flats development would overlook the Eau Claire River on Eau Claire's far east side. Click here for a closer look. (Submitted image)

The Eau Claire City Council has approved a new development that will include two apartment buildings, as well as single-family and twin homes, on about 10 acres just off Galloway Street, overlooking the Eau Claire River.

At its June 22 meeting, the City Council OK’d a final plat for the project as well as authorized the city manager to reach an agreement with the project’s developer, RyKey Properties of Altoona, for trail and utility improvements along the river. In March, the City Council agreed to sell the 10.3-acre parcel to RyKey Properties for $400,000.

The development will be southeast of the intersection of Galloway Street and River Prairie Drive, on the west bank of the Eau Claire River. According to city documents, Galloway Flats would include 79 units: two 24-unit apartment buildings, a four-unit condominium, 18 twin home lots, and nine single-family home lots.

The undeveloped, partly wooded area was previously used by the city as a snow storage lot, but was declared excess property in 2018. The city will retain 6.5 acres of property between the proposed development and the river. Under the agreement approved by the City Council in March, the developer must build a publicly accessible pedestrian and bike trail through this area along the riverside.

According to documents submitted by the developer, the buildings will be accessed by a looped road that connects to Galloway Street. The single-family homes are envisioned to be 2,200 square feet, and the twin homes will be 1,930 square feet. The pair of 24-unit apartment buildings will be toward the west end of the property, and will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom designs, as well as attached garages.

Now that the project has been approved, installation of utilities and grading of the site could begin in late summer, with building construction starting in early winter. Completion of all 21 buildings will take up to three years.