435 Eby Creek Apartments in Eagle to welcome residents this fall
Complex will include a variety of two- and one-bedroom layouts
Rick Patriacca/Courtesy photo
Amid a local housing shortage, Patriacca Construction owner Rick Patriacca and his partners decided to pull their money together to build a 30-unit apartment building along Eagle’s Eby Creek Road. With construction well underway, Patriacca said units at the development known as 435 Eby Creek Apartments are set to hit the rental market for a fall move-in.
The 30-unit building will include a variety of two- and one-bedroom apartment layouts ranging from 470 to 1,000 square feet. Patriacca said a handful of those units are restricted to workers living in Eagle County. In addition, Patriacca said he hopes the other units hitting the market will also help alleviate housing pressures for local workers.
“We definitely like to be part of a solution in the community for sure,” Patriacca said.
While units within 435 Eby Creek Apartments will not be included in the town of Eagle’s Local Employee Residency Program or have income restrictions, Patriacca said the rental prices will still aim to be reasonable for community members.
“It’s so expensive to build that if we had to do income restriction or lower the rent for certain people, the numbers probably wouldn’t even work,” Patriacca said.
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Rick Patriacca/Courtesy photo
In alignment with Eagle’s net-zero goal, 435 Eby Creek Apartments will be entirely electric and have all the wiring done for solar. While the developers aren’t installing solar panels just yet, Patriacca said solar installation is on the building’s horizon.
Ryan Smith is Patriacca Construction’s vice president and senior project manager. Smith is also Patriacca’s partner on the 435 Eby Creek Apartments project. Smith explained that the apartment building has other details that will be included to boost energy efficiency.
“We have two EV chargers that we’re starting — a dual station EV charger and then two more locations that we’re roughing in for them so we can expand on that,” Smith said.
Additionally, Smith detailed how big windows and doors as well as higher ceilings allow for a naturally brighter space and reduce the need to have lights on throughout the day.
The 435 Eby Creek Apartments project was approved by the Eagle Town Council in August 2022.
“The property was rezoned multiuse back last January or February, and then it took another month or so for us to close on the dirt because they had some paperwork and stuff to clean up, so we started the process around August,” Patriacca said.
The developers broke ground in September 2022, and with a projected finish line in October or early November, Patriacca said the 13- to 14-month lifespan of the project makes for a relatively quick turnaround.
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“We’ve tied up a bunch of money and we’re not big hitters out of New York City,” Patriacca said. “So, we have to be careful with our money. The faster we can get it up and running, the better.”
Patriacca said one of the major challenges with developing the Eby Creek property was with the steep hill the building is fixed on. Working with what was originally a 15% grade, Patriacca Construction’s team needed to get creative with solutions, eventually installing a retaining wall of concrete blocks with Lego-like reinforcements.
Despite being challenging to work with, Smith discussed how the placement of the apartments allows for great views from every unit as well as accessibility to lots of things around town. Just a short distance from the City Market, Kum & Go, and Interstate 70 on ramps, Patriacca said the location is certainly convenient.
Patriacca and his partners are also looking to boost connectivity for residents even more. In addition to creating a triangle-shaped parking lot for the apartment complex, they will also create a sidewalk connecting from the driveway down toward the northmost roundabout on Eby Creek Road.
“One of the big things with the town of Eagle was connectivity to the trail system,” Patriacca said. “So, that was a big sales point to them, and the big thing we wanted to do was just get the sidewalk that gets bike and e-bike and foot access down to the sidewalk system right down there and into town.”
Looking forward to the project’s finish mark, Patriacca said people have already reached out interested in securing units to rent. However, he said that he and his partners are holding off on doing so.
“The cost is not going down and we’re just so busy with not just this project but other projects,” Patriacca said.
In hopes of alleviating housing stress for essential workers within the community, Patriacca said he and his partners have also been in communication with entities such as the school district, Colorado State Patrol, Vail Health and the town of Eagle about getting employees into those units when the time comes. He said he also hopes to reach out to more entities of similar nature so that the community’s essential workers have the Eby Creek Apartments on their radar.
