Wheaton luxury apartment tenants begin to move in downtown

Leslie Tiongco, a 10-year Wheaton resident, wanted to stay in Wheaton to raise her two young children but she had “had it” with the tasks that came with living in her rental home.

Also a fan of new construction, Tiongco jumped at the chance to be one of the first residents to move into the new Wheaton 121 luxury apartment development, earlier this month, at Cross and Front streets.

“The downtown area is great, the building is gorgeous and I wake up every morning and look out my bedroom window to the beautiful (Wheaton College) clock tower,” she said. “It’s as close as I’ll ever get to city living and I love it.”

The first tenants began moving into the $60 million development on Sept. 1 with new move-in phases beginning the first of each month. Property and leasing manager Angela Martel said Friday that another 25 to 30 residents are expected to move in by Oct. 1.

When complete in the spring of 2014, the entire Wheaton 121 development will consist of five levels of apartment homes and a two-level indoor parking garage with more than 400 spaces.

Floor plans include five studios; 212 one-bedroom, one-bath homes; 66 two-bedroom, one-bath homes; 19 two-bedroom, two-bath homes; and four three-bedroom, two-bath homes.

“We couldn’t be happier with the way opening and move-in has gone,” Martel said Friday. “The weather has allowed construction to be on schedule and our residents who have taken possession are very happy.”

With monthly rents ranging from $1,260 to $3,700, all units feature nine-foot ceilings, granite countertops in kitchens and baths, stainless steel appliances, wood floors, ceramic tile in the baths, balconies, individually controlled gas forced-air furnaces and central air-conditioning, and in-unit washers and dryers.

The luxury amenities include a second-level courtyard with an in-ground swimming pool, barbecue stations, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, lounge areas, a dog run, bocce court and a sculptural fountain.