FAIRMONT — Matt Traetow has been watching the rise of the City Center Townhomes from his window in the Krueger Realty office at the corner of Blue Earth and Prairie avenues.

As operations manager and development director for the real estate firm, Traetow smiles at the construction’s quick progression.

“This is great entertainment right here,” he said.

When the project is finished, seven three-bedroom townhomes will occupy a space where four older single-family homes once stood. One burned years ago, Traetow said, and the remaining three were demolished to create a large open space at the corner of First Street and Prairie Avenue.

The new two-story units will have three bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor, with a half bath on the ground level which has an open floor plan. All appliances, including a washer and dryer, are included in each 1,390-square foot unit.

“We want to market them to (Presentation) college students for housing, but they’re not limited to or exclusive to the college,” Traetow said. “It would work out great for students because it’s a half block from the college.”

He is in the process of doing a market study to help determine the rental rate, which will be the same for all units. Until a completion date is set, no leases can be signed, but there have been numerous inquiries about the availability of units. A few applications already have been submitted for the standard background criminal and credit checks the realty company runs on all its prospective tenants.

If everything goes according to plan, which can be challenging on any construction project, the townhomes should be ready for occupancy in about six weeks.

“Our completion date is mid-July, but there’s a lot of ‘what ifs’ right now, like the weather. That could push us back to early August,” Traetow said. “We’re currently on schedule, but we’ve got a long way to go yet.”

The second floors are going up. Windows and doors will follow. Once the building is sealed to the elements, the inside electrical, plumbing and finish work can begin.

“The actual cost of the project is very, very large,” Traetow said. “If you take into consideration the value of the homes that were demolished, plus the demolition costs, it’s well over $1.2 million. There’s also the asbestos abatement, surveying, so many things that go into it.

“Ultimately, Ken Krueger has to get the credit. Without his foresight, commitment and investment in the community, this project would not have happened.”

Krueger privately financed the project, which is his latest installment in a long history of construction in Fairmont. Traetow pointed out the Southview Apartments by the high school, Scotts Court on Albion Avenue and the Albion Place condominiums across from Ward Park as just a few of Krueger’s projects. He cited a Sentinel article from 1979 that reported on the six different residential subdivisions Krueger was building at the time.

“Ken really loves Fairmont. He wants to see it grow,” Traetow said. “I’m not related to Ken, but he’s kind of taken me under his wing. He wants to see the next generation help Fairmont grow too.”

He praised Beemer Co., naming Lee Beemer, for the site preparation and the city staff for their assistance with the project, helping with drainage issues and building regulations.

“They’ve been great to work with. We had a few road bumps we ran into, but we worked together and got over them. Their door was always open. From the get-go, they’ve been very supportive of this project.”

For more information on the City Center Townhomes, contact Krueger Realty at (507) 235-9060 or email sales@kruegerrealtyinc.com