Waterchase Apartments, Florida

The complex

Following the acquisition of Waterchase Apartments in 2019 with ApexOne Investment Partners, Balfour Beatty Communities completed a three-and-a-half-year improvement scheme to revitalise the complex. Situated in Largo, Florida, this community was built in the 1980s and comprises studio, one and two-bedroom apartment homes, along with various amenities including three swimming pools, a dog park, fitness centre, and a clubhouse.

Reducing carbon emissions

Continuing to focus on enabling emission reductions within their portfolio, Balfour Beatty Communities have implemented a range of enhancements at Waterchase Apartments to encourage sustainable living, including:

• Installing electric vehicle chargepoints across the complex to provide residents with the infrastructure to transition to electric vehicles.
• Installing energy-efficient features such as smart wi-fi thermostats in each home enabling residents to optimise their heating and cooling systems.
• Upgrading more than 250 refrigerators and 240 dishwashers to Energy Star-rated models, reducing both energy consumption and utility costs for residents.

Breathing new life into the community

As part of the significant upgrades to the complex, all building exteriors underwent repainting, providing a refreshed feel to the community. Additionally, new dual-pane insulated windows were installed to enhance energy efficiency and minimise solar heat gain for residents.

Affordable rent for residents

Throughout the enhancement works, it was crucial for Balfour Beatty Communities to maintain affordable rent levels for residents. Through strategic planning and execution, the project successfully upheld rents at levels where residents will spend, on average, less than 30% of their household income on rent, aligning with the 30% threshold of the established US metric on housing affordability.