More than 600 apartments, retail proposed for Gilbert's Cooley Station neighborhood

A Houston-based developer wants to build 600 apartments in Gilbert.

Kaplan Multifamily, a developer from California, has proposed the District at Cooley Station. It includes multiple buildings with apartments and retail on site. Gilbert Planning Commission will hear District at Cooley Station on Wednesday.

The District at Cooley Station project is proposed for more than 12 acres of land on the northwest corner between Recker and Williams Field Roads. The project will be near other multifamily developments such as The Crossing and Springs at Cooley Station, and directly across from the new Verde shopping center at Cooley Station. Fry's Food Stores has an additional grocery store located across the street.

District at Cooley Station will be constructed in two phases, according to documents submitted to Gilbert. The development will consist of 612 units of multifamily housing with two resort style pools, open space, parking garages, 15,000 square foot of retail and commercial space and another 25,000 sq ft of "non residential space" which could include community centers and fitness centers.

According to the current proposal, Kaplan will build the first two apartments in the first phase of the project and the remaining two in the second.

WGI is the civil engineering firm and Biltform is the architect. The land-use lawyer for this project is Pew & Lake PLC.

Kaplan was also given approval by the Chandler City Council in December to proceed with a mixed-use development called The District Downtown, located elsewhere in East Valley. Kaplan plans to co-develop a 44.7-acre property with Meridian West Properties. The project will include 360,000 square foot of new office space spread across four buildings, a five-story hotel with 180 rooms, 795 units in multifamily housing, nearly 45,000 sq ft on retail pads, and another 34,000 sq ft for restaurants.

Kaplan also developed three other District Communities in Scottsdale, Chandler and Goodyear, as well as in the Biltmore neighborhood of Phoenix. According to its website, the company has also developed Scottsdale Grand. The five projects in the Valley total nearly 1,500 apartments.

The proposed District at Cooley Station is located about five miles northeast of Thompson Thrift’s 40-acre mixed use project, The Gilmore. This project will bring approximately 300 luxury apartments and 200,000 square foot of commercial space to the northwest corner between Val Vista Drive and Germann Road.