Just beyond the bustling Oakwood Hills area in Eau Claire, an amenities-abundant residential community — unlike any other in the Chippewa Valley — has opened the doors to its first tenants.
As Eau Claire’s first clubhouse-style community, Paragon was seen as an ambitious endeavor upon its 2024 groundbreaking. Yet, today, apartment living is no longer viewed as a temporary path but an opportunity for those seeking something different.
An upscale development, Paragon has brought an additional 305 units to the south side — and with it, unique amenities for its community members.
“Residents will have just about everything they could want, right in their neighborhood,” Property Manager Giana Giarrusso said. “The idea was to offer as many amenities as we possibly could, creating a place that really is made for a community rather than one individual or one family.”
Rooney Property Management has decades of experience creating ideal living spaces throughout the Valley; from family-friendly townhomes in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Elk Mound to unique apartment communities in Altoona.
“The goal with Paragon is to offer something entirely different,” Property Manager Ben Rooney noted. “For us, this place is the next step.”
A range of locals, too, are making their next step at Paragon. “Today we had showings with both an elderly gentleman and college students,” Ben said. “That speaks to the range of lifestyles we can meet.”
On paper, the rundown is simple. Apartment units ranging from studio spaces to three-bed, two-bath units can accommodate a variety of lifestyles — including furry family members; Paragon is a pet-friendly community — and each include in-unit laundry and a patio or balcony.
In person, the apartments come to life. Built-in shelving, soft-close cabinets and quartz countertops speak to the designers’ thoughtfulness, with ample natural light breathing life into each unit.
The show-stopper, though, is found outside each unit’s walls. Paragon’s resort-style outdoors area is unlike any other neighborhood offering, featuring a sun deck and sun loungers, a pool and hot tub, hammocks zone, grilling stations, fire pits, an on-site pet washing and grooming space, and even a self-serve car wash.
The space can be viewed from inside the clubhouse, or community building, too. There, residents will find even more amenities: A movie theater and media lounge, state-of-the-art sports simulator, reservable event room, a fitness center, sauna, mail room, book nook, and six total business spaces and reservable conference rooms.
To keep up with the on-site experiences, Paragon also employs a full-time maintenance lead and housekeeper, as well as an on-site property manager.
“All of it — from the golf and sports simulator to the outdoor hot tub and pool, to the movie theater and business lounges — is our effort to create a community feel, not just another rental place,” Giana said.
While nestled into its own, new neighborhood, Paragon is located near I-94 and Exit 70 — conveniently situated minutes away from grocery and retail shopping, restaurants and more.
The neighborhood features modern security, including its keyless access features. Residents will each have a unique code they can use to enter their unit or community spaces, or can simply utilize a mobile app to do so. Security cameras also monitor the neighborhood’s public areas for additional ease.
Pricing, too, is comparable to other upscale apartments in the area with less amenities. Standard monthly pricing at Paragon — for studios to three-bedroom units — ranges from $1,400 to $2,200. Paragon has also committed 25% of its apartment units to households qualifying for specific affordable housing programs.
That means some studios and one-bedroom apartments at Paragon can be rented to those earning 30%-80% of the city of Eau Claire’s Area Median Income (AMI). In practice, that brings Paragon studio unit pricing to $1,084 per month and some one-bedroom units to $1,164 per month.
“Paragon wasn’t created with any particular kind of person in mind. It’s supposed to be for anyone, so everyone can be part of the community,” Ben said.
The first Paragon residents are settling in during April, with the second and third apartment buildings opening in June and August this summer.
Construction efforts for the second and third buildings will be contained to each site — a separate driveway will be utilized by construction vehicles, ensuring less disruption — so residents can enjoy their apartments and the resort-style pool area with ease.
Apartment showings can often be set within one day by reaching out at Giana Giarrusso gianag@rooneypm.com or submitting a request through paragonapt.com.
