A new apartment complex currently under construction at the corner of W. Neal St. and Walnut St. brings new housing options to Commerce and Texas A&M University-Commerce students. Dewayne Cogburn, owner of the property and complex, is overseeing and funding its construction.
Cogburn has been an active member of the community for almost 15 years and has been constructing apartments in this community for about as long. He is a retired contractor out of Dallas, and said he builds mostly in Commerce for fun.
“I like working with the city” Cogburn said.
Cogburn owns two other complexes in town, Maple Place, which is two complexes next to one another, at 1400 and 1401 Maple Drive. These were built back in 1995 and had six units added in 1997.
Cogburn has helped expand the housing options in Commerce over the last 10 years along with several other contractors in the area. The complex Cogburn is building is due to be completed mid November.
Ashley Colvin, an A&M-Commerce student who resides in town at the Gant Apartments on Live Oak Street said it was easy getting into the apartments and since there is usually always a vacancy, finding one is not too difficult.
“It was a good experience and has been so far,” Colvin said. “They could work on the bug problem, but otherwise it was okay.”
Colvin also had some ideas in reference to possible future plans in housing for Commerce residents.
“Someone should take down the buildings right next to the plaza, near where that sign business is in front of Henderson,” Colvin said. “They could tear those down and add apartments there.”
One A&M-Commerce professor does not think the housing options in Commerce are where they should be. The professor, who wished to remain anonymous, said he chooses to live out of town because of the sheer lack of quality places to live or property to buy.
“I was shown places that, quite frankly, I think should have been condemned,” he said.