Just like home
January 2, 2020
Draper Place caters to apartment dwellers who value privacy and high-end design.
By Cathy Martin
With the opening of Draper Place last summer, developer SunCap Property Group took a gamble that prospective tenants would be willing to pay more for units with larger footprints and upscale finishes. That’s not to say that Draper Place, a 47-unit apartment building on Randolph Road between Eastover and Elizabeth, doesn’t have amenities to boot. There’s covered underground parking, a pet spa, a large outdoor terrace with a fireplace and a Big Green Egg grill, a dog park, and a larger pocket park for use by residents.
But the focus here is on the expansive layouts — the average unit is 1,915 square feet, about double the industry average — and high-end details that make the apartments at Draper Place feel more like home, particularly for tenants who are in-between houses or are new to Charlotte.
“We believe our resident wants to entertain in their home,” says Executive Vice President Fred Bolt, who leads SunCap’s mixed-use and multifamily development. Draper Place is just the second multifamily project completed by SunCap, which focuses predominantly on industrial projects. “And we thought, if our residents are going to entertain in their homes, let’s be serious about the quality of the stuff we put in it,” Bolt says.
At Draper Place, that starts at the front door. Unlike most market-rate apartment units, which enter directly into the kitchen or dining area, each Draper Place apartment opens into a spacious foyer with a drop zone for belongings and a large art nook.
In each unit, the kitchen is equipped with oversized quartz countertops, a six-burner gas stove, built-in Kitchen-Aid appliances, a dual-zone wine cooler and a dry bar. Ten-foot sliding-glass doors separate the living area from the patio, which is recessed for privacy and upfitted with a gas fireplace. Master suites offer large walk-in closets, oversized showers and private water closets.
“All of this is tailored to, how do we make this resident feel like they’ve walked into their home?” Bolt says. “When they have guests or family over, they’re able to entertain.”
Service is another emphasis at Draper Place. “Our approach is kind of like the Ritz-Carlton approach. What we said to our staff here is we’ll do anything for the resident if it’s not immoral, illicit or illegal,” laughs Bolt. An on-site lifestyle coordinator handles requests from lining up caterers to scheduling rides to the airport or the car-repair shop.
If residents do want to socialize with their fellow tenants, Draper Place hosts weekend brunches, wine-down Wednesdays and other gatherings in a communal club room. A private conference room allows tenants to host investment clubs and other groups.
Another unique perk: During construction, SunCap purchased and renovated a 1,600-square-foot bungalow across the street from Draper Place to use as a leasing center. Now, residents can reserve the cottage for overnight guests.
Adjacent to Draper Place are eight Simonini-built townhomes priced in the $1.1 million to $1.2 million range. Homeowners can enjoy all the perks of Draper Place.
With low apartment vacancy rates and a strong demand for high-end rentals in Charlotte, SunCap is targeting Dilworth for a similar project that will include 50 apartment homes and six townhomes for rent. Construction is expected to begin in late summer.
Apartments at Draper Place lease from $3,549 for a two-bedroom, 2.5 bath unit to $5,079 for a three-bedroom unit with a private patio. livedraperplace.com
