Cascata Apartments being built in southeast Tulsa

But the developer's latest project is a lot closer in - at 81st Street and Mingo Road.

When finished next year, Cascata Apartments will have 286 units. Ground was broken for the $22 million project a few weeks ago.

Scott Case, vice president of Case & Associates Properties Inc., said the company has been building in the suburbs because land is relatively inexpensive and abundant. But an opportunity presented itself in southeast Tulsa.

"We paid a little more for the land, but we feel the rents and occupancy will justify it," Case said.

Case & Associates hasn't had trouble filling its most recent additions.

Properties such as Tuscany Hills, a 316-unit companion to Nickel Creek near Tulsa Hills, and the Park at Coffee Creek, a 228-unit facility in Owasso, quickly achieved occupancies around 93 percent, Case said.

That has encouraged the company to keep building.

"We've been fortunate to lease up everything we've built, so if we can continue to fill them up, we'll continue to build," Case said.

While single-family home sales and construction have improved significantly over the past year in metro Tulsa, Case said interest in apartment rental remains strong.

"Although interest rates are at historic lows, credit can be tight and hard to get approved," he said. "A lot of Generation X saw their homes get foreclosed, so I think some people are a little wary of jumping into a home."

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Cascata Apartments being built in southeast Tulsa