By Mike Pearson, News staff

Builders Michael Corrado and Dave Eccles are quite possibly pioneers in Hamilton’s residential construction industry.

Their firm, Springfield Homes, is putting the finishing touches on a new, three-story, 24-unit apartment complex in the heart of the Ancaster Meadowlands at 886 Golf Links Road.

Rental apartments have been a rarity in the Hamilton area over the last 40 years, with few new non-government funded units built since 1975.

Meadowland Suites is unique for the simple fact that the project is funded with private money, unlike most other rental projects built in recent years, that received large government grants or other government subsidies.

Springfield is now leasing the upscale suites for $1,300 to $1,650 per month.

Guests will notice the difference as soon as they enter the building’s marble foyer. The suites themselves feature ceramic flooring in all living areas with  laminate flooring in the bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom countertops are granite , and there are four stainless steel appliances in the kitchens  as well as washers and dryers in every suite. Heating and cooling is individually controlled, and custom window blinds are standard.

The building also features an elevator and underground parking, and structurally speaking, the floors are built with pre-cast concrete, and the party walls in between each suite are constructed from concrete block, for optimum sound-proofing.

To date, there are eight units occupied and the owners expect the remaining units will be quickly snapped up.

The development is being marketed with the tagline, “Your in-law suite down the street.”

Unlike condominium ownership which requires a maintenance fee and high property taxes, Corrado said the apartments appeal to people who don’t want to be tied down to a home, for various reasons, whether they winter in Florida, or summer at their cottages.

“There are so many young families living in close proximity to us, whose children want their grandparents to live close by, but not actually moving right in with them,” Corrado said. “Our building is the perfect alternative.”

Along with seniors who want to downsize, the apartments have been popular with younger professionals such as doctors and university professors who prefer a central location just minutes from the highway and the Lincoln Alexander Parkway, and directly across from the Meadowlands Power Centre.

“We felt there was a need in the marketplace that was not being addressed,” said Corrado.

An experienced builder in the Ancaster area for decades, Corrado constructed the Bungalows of Ancaster in the early-1990s as well as several in-fill condo projects in the Ancaster Village.