On Thursday, representatives from Talon Development, Eagle Construction and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance held a ceremonial groundbreaking to kick off Phase II of District 29.

District 29, named for its location near North 29th Street and Dodger Drive, first broke ground in the fall of 2020. In September 2021, the four-story apartment building with 93 units and the five five-plex townhome buildings were opened. In total, the development created 118 new housing units for Fort Dodge.

“That’s exciting for us here in Fort Dodge,” Councilman Dave Flattery, who is the mayor pro tem, said at the groundbreaking. “The need for housing is critical in this community and we thank you for that investment.”

The development of Phase II will create an additional 118 new housing units, said Josh Kruger, president of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Eagle Construction and Talon Development. The units will be a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedrooms.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Fort Dodge Mayor Pro Tem Dave Flattery speaks at the groundbreaking for the Phase 2 of the District 29 development. Also pictured are Josh Kruger, president of Eagle Construction and Talon Development; and Steve Boote, CEO of Eagle Construction and Talon Development.

“I wanted to reiterate the success that we’ve had here in Fort Dodge,” Kruger said. “We opened the building in October [last year] and by the following April, we were already at 100 percent occupancy. I think we opened up the building at just over 60 percent occupancy.”

Phase II will be a mirror image of Phase I and essentially double the number of rental units in the complex. It will also include some new amenities — a fenced-in pool with a patio and seating area, as well as a dog park.

“This was our plan when we came in and bought the land from the Litchfields,” said Steve Boote, CEO of Eagle Construction and Talon Development. “They were great to deal with. They’ve still got a whole bunch more land, so if Fort Dodge keeps growing, we’ll grow with you.”

Like the original apartment building, the new building will also feature a community room and 24-hour fitness center.

The new buildings are anticipated to be ready for move-in next fall.