By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

PITTSBURG, Kan. — When Ben Eastep looks at the 5.5-acre lot at the southwest corner of Ford and Rouse streets, he sees the potential for an apartment complex with a “country club atmosphere.”

“We’re trying to create a real Big 12 feel at a place like Pittsburg State University,” said Eastep, whose company, Oxbow Development, of Bettendorf, Iowa, is planning to build a 108-unit apartment complex marketed to students. “We want to have a clubhouse, a pool, tanning beds — all sorts of amenities.”

The $10 million project would be on the southeast corner of the PSU campus, across the street from the Kansas Technology Center, and the university’s student recreation and fitness center. The university has plans to expand its campus to the east, one of the factors that Eastep said helped his company choose that location.

“That’s really why we decided to do this,” he said. “We’re going after a niche market in Pittsburg.”

To help with construction cost, the city plans to issue a tax-exempt bond to the company that will provide a sales tax-exemption for construction materials.

Mark Turnbull, the city’s economic-development director, said the bond is similar to others issued for construction projects, including recent renovations to the Sycamore Village apartments on North Joplin Street.

A public hearing on the construction and a sewer issue on the property is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday during the City Commission’s regular meeting at City Hall.

“There’s a pond, a collection area for water flowing off the neighborhood there,” Turnbull said. “We’re asking them to reroute that water and increase the drainage.

“Because of the size of the development, we wanted citizens to have an opportunity to ask questions and get more information about this project and others in that area.”

Eastep said his company would pay to replace a 36-inch storm-water drain with 48-inch pipe, and would reroute the water to another collection area off the property.

“We’re not asking the city for money or anything else,” he said. “We asked for the exemption for sales tax on building materials to offset those additional costs.”

Eastep said he hopes to have a model unit completed on the grounds by April, and to have the complex ready for students by the start of the fall semester in 2008.