Although multifamily starts plummeted in August, developers are still finding ways to build.
Firms have recently started mixed-use developments in Florida and Texas, while Michigan and California are getting more affordable housing. Some designs have unique characteristics: For example, The Adeline coming to Ann Arbor, Michigan, will have a ground-floor window to showcase the utility room where the building’s geothermal system connects to the earth.
Ranging from townhomes to towers, here are five new apartment projects to watch.
Ocean One in Boynton Beach, Florida
Construction has started on Ocean One, an eight-story, 371-unit mixed-use development with 25,500 square feet of retail in downtown Boynton Beach, Florida, according to an Oct. 6 press release shared with Multifamily Dive.
The developers are Hyperion Group, Winter Properties, WREP and Silverstein Properties, per the release. Affiliates of Cantor Fitzgerald and Silverstein Properties provided equity funding and Madison Realty Capital supplied construction financing. Arquitectonica designed the project.
Ocean One’s amenities will include a pool, a fitness center, a lounge and coworking spaces, outdoor recreation areas. Inside, there will be secure package and mail facilities, on‑site management services and communal spaces designed to “support luxury living and community engagement.”
The James in Houston
Houston-based McGrath Real Estate Partners has begun construction on The James, a 279-unit class A multifamily community, according to an Oct. 5 press release. It’s located within CamWesT Crossing, a 47-acre mixed-use development in the Bryan-College Station BioCorridor, one of the state’s fastest-growing employment zones, per the release.
Situated on nearly 10 acres, The James’ three-story residential buildings will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. The development is targeted to young professionals, healthcare workers, researchers, graduate students and others seeking easy access to local job centers.
The Barton in Austin, Texas
Developer and contractor OHT Partners broke ground on The Barton, a mix of three-story garden-style buildings and 30 two-story townhomes totaling 402 units, according to an Oct. 5 press release. Located on more than 60 acres in Southwest Austin near major employers, the community has more than 40 acres designated as green space.
The project is designed for professionals and families and will feature large floor plans, private yards and tuck-under garages. Community amenities include two resort-style pools, a clubhouse, a fitness center, a coworking space, two pickleball courts, a 1.4-acre dog park, a trail system and courtyards. Meeks + Partners is the project architect.
The first residences are expected to come online in the first quarter of 2028, with the entire project complete by Q4 2028, according to the release.
The Adeline in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Chicago-based developer Related Midwest launched construction on The Adeline, a 20-story, 330-unit affordable housing community in downtown Ann Arbor, per a press release from the firm. The all-electric building will use geothermal energy as its primary heating and cooling source, and a large ground-floor window will display the manifold room where the geothermal system connects to the earth.
The Adeline will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom layouts. All apartments are reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, with about a third of units set aside for those earning less than 30% AMI, according to the release. The building's ground floor will include two storefronts with more than 6,000 total square feet of retail space, as well as a lobby, mail room and package room for residents. Delivery is anticipated in 2028.
Two Joyfield Flats communities in Antioch, California
In late September, Standard Communities broke ground on two affordable apartment communities with a total of 428 new income-restricted units for working families, according to a press release from the affordable investor and developer. The workforce housing is targeted to those “who earn too much to qualify for deeply subsidized housing and too little to absorb Bay Area market rents.”
Joyfield Flats at Lakeview Center will have 233 homes across seven buildings, with 109 one-bedroom, 58 two-bedroom and 66 three-bedroom apartments. Vertical construction is set to start in December 2026, with completion anticipated in Q3 of 2028.
Plans for Joyfield Flats at Buchanan Crossing entail 195 homes across six buildings, with 91 one-bedroom, 49 two-bedroom and 55 three-bedroom apartments. Vertical construction will start in January 2027 and is expected to wrap up by July 2028.
Amenities for both include a community lounge, a fitness center, a computer lab, a playground, picnic areas and a dog run, plus bike parking, tenant storage and on-site management.
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