Prairie District in Grand Island is booming

Buildings are going up so fast that it will soon be hard to find much prairie in the Prairie District.

Twenty-one apartment buildings, totaling 215 units, have already been built. Four more apartment buildings, consisting of 88 units, are on the way.

Barista's, Big Red Treats and Balz Sports Bar are building new locations in the Prairie District.

Moving in soon will be Grand Island Dental Center and Summit Realty.

They won't be alone. Commercial, office and retail space is available.

The housing is not limited to one- and two-bedroom apartments.

More than 150 homes will be built in the area. Under construction is a lake that will total more than 20 acres.

Scott Rief, a Grand Island developer and chiropractor, is putting together the 200-acre Prairie District, which is north of Prairie Commons.

Rief is also the man behind the luxury apartment complex, known as Legacy 34.

Legacy 34's first phase totaled 92 apartment units. The completion of the second phase, which totals 123 units, was celebrated at an open house Sept. 12. The next phase brings 88 more units, which will be available in March.

Rief says the apartments are attractive for people who are moving to town or relocating within Grand Island.

Legacy 34, he said, is building a community. The presence of Barista's, Big Red Treats and Balz will help produce a "mini-downtown, or village," he said.

All of the apartment dwellers are able to take advantage of the clubhouse, which is open 24 hours a day.

Rief points out the clubhouse includes a weight room, a living room, a pool table and areas to play PlayStation and Xbox. There are also rooms if people want to work outside of their apartments. Zoom meetings can be conducted in those rooms.

Summit Real Estate is the real estate agent for the Prairie District.

Rief is the owner of Innate Concepts, the Prairie District construction company. He is also the owner of Full Circle Services, which manages the properties.

Rief, 43, is the owner of Active Family Chiropractic and Acupuncture. His wife, Dr. Mindy Rief, is with Grand Island Dental Center.

Rief is the developer and owner of Talon Apartments, which consists of 208 units.

He also has apartment developments in Kearney and Norfolk, with a new development coming to Hastings.

A Shelby native, Rief never planned to become a developer.

He started investing in single-family homes, which led him to developing Talon Apartments.

He found he had a passion for development. "And it's been addictive ever since."

Speaking of the Prairie District, Rief said, "It really takes the community to get behind a development like this."

He suggests that anyone looking for an apartment or single-family home call 308-224-2270.