New, 132-unit apartment complex planned in Brookings

City Council OKs support resolution 

By Mondell Keck | The Brookings Register

BROOKINGS — Preliminary planning is underway for a new, four-story 132-unit apartment complex in Brookings on the southeast corner of the intersection of 20^th Street South and 22^nd Avenue South. 

The proposed project, being spearheaded by Mills Development Corp., received backing from the Brookings City Council at its Jan. 27 meeting in the form of a resolution supporting the corporation’s application for financial assistance from the South Dakota Housing and Development Authority. The 7-0 vote was part of the council’s consent agenda. 

If built, the apartment complex would become the latest in a series of such projects that have added hundreds of new units to the city over the last four years or so. 

Documents call for a mix of unit types, ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom apartments. The monthly rent ranges, calculated at 80% of the area’s median income, would be from $1,431 on the low end all the way up to $2,044. Amenities would include: 

• Swimming pool 

• Basketball court 

• Movie lounge 

• Fitness room 

• Rooftop patio 

• Covered porch 

• Dog park 

Community Development Director Mike Struck said the SDHDA required the resolution for the aid application to move forward, with the idea being that local officials would be aware of the project and plan accordingly for, among other things, infrastructure needs. Its approval carries no financial obligation to the city. 

In other business at their Jan. 27 meeting, councilors: 

• Agreed to, on a 7-0 vote, revisions to city ordinances establishing a right-of-way work permit in place of an excavation permit. The change affects contractors and entities working within such areas, with the goal being to protect the city’s right-of-way infrastructure. Affected organizations have been made aware of the change. 

• In a related matter to the issue above, voted 7-0 to remove the requirement for a contractor to posssess a city plumbing license. That’s because the state of South Dakota is already responsible for licensing, regulation and inspections. 

• Adopted, on another 7-0 vote, a resolution regarding 2026 fees for Edgebrook Golf Course and Parks, Recreation and Forestry services. Affected categories include shelter and facility rentals. 

• Voted 7-0 to accept an amendment to the city’s consolidated fee schedule that accounts for changes related to the new right-of-way work permit and the removal of the city’s plumbing license requirement for contractors. For the former, the changes include the formal establishment of a fee at $35 for the work permit, and fines — from $250 initially up to $1,000 — if a work permit isn’t obtained. 

— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].