CONTRIBUTED GRAPHIC Lessees will be moving into new rental housing units Dec. 1, Kading Properties Chief Executive Officer Kari Kading Ramsey said.

Two new housing developments providing 48 units of rental housing east of Marshalltown Mall are opening Dec. 1.

One is near Iowa River Hospice on Plaza Heights Road and are townhomes. There will be 30 rental units in 15 buildings.

The second site is near South Second Avenue and Glenda Drive and offers 18 rental units.

Work at both sites began last year.

Kari Kading Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer of Kading, a Urbandale-based housing developer, said lessees will also be able to move in Dec. 1.

“There are a number of units remaining to lease,” she said. “We expect those to go fast. There has been a lot of interest in this project.”

Kading said those interested should apply online via the company’s website at kadingproperties.com.

Housing has become a precious commodity locally since the July 2018 tornado crushed or severely damaged a large number of rental properties and single-family homes.

“We are excited to add housing to the city of Marshalltown,” Ramsey said.

The CEO said Kading is familiar with Marshalltown, having built rental properties on Plaza Heights Road a number of years ago. Ramsey, who has nearly two decades experience as CEO, said the company has constructed condominiums, bi-attached, four-plex and 14-plex in 16 Iowa communities over 40 years.

East Merle Hibbs Road

To support the new housing and entice future development, an extension off East Merle Hibbs Road will be built and the project will be done in phases.

Due to the scope of the project, it has been broken into phases. City of Marshalltown public works director Justin Nickel said phase I will cost $4 million.

“The first section will stretch from the eastern terminus by Walmart to first intersection with Plaza Heights Road,” Nickel said.

Specifically, it will allow East Merle Hibbs Boulevard to expand from Walmart to Governor Road.

Nickel said the improvements will add paved roadway through agricultural fields to tie-in with Plaza Heights Road, and will end at a cul-de-sac by Iowa River Hospice.

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Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.