MOUNT VERNON — “The Grad” is close to opening, folks. It really is.
“The Grad” is short for “The Graduate Since 1939.”
Local folks might know the project better as “the former school at 301 N. Mulberry.”
Developer Joel Mazza said he is shooting for occupancy on May 1.
“We’re in the process of finalizing the website. Once we have the website, it will have application information, and you’ll be able to fill out an application online,” he said.
Mazza expects the website to be up by the end of February.
The 38-unit apartment complex is pared down from the original 40-50 units Mazza anticipated.
“I thought it was going to detract from the overall project,” he said of the higher density. “Now we’re providing more space and less density in this historic building.”
The one- and two-bedroom units are all handicap accessible. A few of the units are fully developed ADA units with features such as lowered countertops and grab bars.
One-bedroom units are around 800 square feet. The two-bedroom suites are between 1,300 and 1,400 square feet.
Mazza said the rental price is around $1.75 a square foot.
“That’s similar to the other facilities in the city of Mount Vernon,” he said. “But our apartments, I think, are going to be larger and more spacious.”
Amenities at ‘The Grad’
All of the units have full baths, 12-foot ceilings, and 9-by-4.5-foot high-efficiency windows. Granite counters, a center island, and local Amish-made cabinetry are staples in all suites.
A stove, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher are included. A utility closet holds the water heater and washer/dryer.
“We built them as if they were condos,” Mazza explained. “Each unit has 150-amp electric, a separate water line, and high-speed internet, all separately metered.
“Every suite has its own high-efficiency electric furnace, a washer and dryer, and water heater. There is full generator backup for the entire building.”
No floor has more than 13 suites. The third floor has 13, the second has 10, and the first has nine.
Arches in the hallways create additional privacy, as there are no more than two units between arches.
“Each floor and door is key card protected, so we have that added security that not everyone can walk into the building. Or even on the second or third floor,” Mazza said.
Appliances are sourced locally, as are the plumbing, construction, HVAC, and construction crews.
“Windows are the eyes to the soul of the building.”
Israel Schaaf, construction foreman
“Not any one unit is identical,” Mazza said. “There are characteristics, nooks and crannies, and architectural features so that not any one unit is cookie-cutter.”
The 51,000-square-foot building includes a room for the property manager, mailboxes, and deliveries. Security features limit delivery drivers’ access to the apartments.
The freight elevator is handicap accessible and large enough for moving tenants’ boxes and furniture in and out.
Crews will finish the third floor in the next two weeks. Ninety percent of the inspections are complete on the second floor. And while the first floor looks rough, Mazza noted that the third floor looked just like it six weeks ago.
The next step
Mazza noted that one of the most unique aspects of “The Grad” is its walkability. The complex is one block away from the library and several blocks away from the YMCA and downtown business district.
Additionally, it is across the street from Heartland Commerce Park, which makes “The Grad” ideal for engineers and other young professionals.
“It’s sitting on one of the most spectacular views of the sunset in Knox County,” Mazza said. “I think we meet all of the demographics.”
Mazza plans an opening celebration in the spring. Classmates attending will recognize many features from their school days.
Mazza preserved the school’s terra cotta flooring. Crews re-plastered the hallways and stairwells and restored the stair railings.
Highlights of the North Mulberry entrance include restored arches and trophy cases. Crews will mount the restored door to the principal’s office — complete with the principal’s nameplate — in the same doorway.
The opening celebration will feature placing a 2024 cornerstone built from the granite front school steps above the 1939 cornerstone.
The two-story, loft-style townhomes in the former gymnasium will not be ready by May, however.
In addition to the townhomes, the gym area features a 50-by-50-foot common area which will house the old scoreboard.
It also includes the “Coaches Room,” featuring the old oak ticket booth.
Mazza acknowledged it’s been a long, tough road getting the building to this point.
“The community is starting to embrace the project. They’re starting to see the significance,” he said. “To be able to restore it and be a complementary asset to across the street and the downtown business district, I think, is phenomenal.”
“This is the project,” he added. “I think it will be worth the fight.”
