An interior view of a newly renovated one-bedroom apartment at Deer Creek Apartments in Toledo. The single-floor apartment complex was purchased and renovated by Superior Rentals and is now open for applications. Rental options range in size from studio to two-bedroom apartments. -- Photos by Darvin Graham

Nearly one year after acquiring the former Deer Creek Medical Center facility in southwest Toledo, Superior Rentals of Marshalltown is set to reopen the facility as a single-floor apartment complex.

As of this week, Deer Creek Apartments will be holding open houses and apartment showings for residents looking for rental housing.

The complex features 24 units ranging in size from 300-square-foot studios to 800-square-foot two bedroom apartments. Prices similarly range from $400 to $875 which include utilities.

The complex will also offer lease options from one month on their smallest units to one year on the larger ones.

Renovation work on the 15,000-square-foot facility began in early 2021 and required a full gutting of the building to the outer walls.

The lobby of the former clinic was repurposed into two spacious loft apartments utilizing the tall windows and ceilings to create an urban atmosphere that’s filled with daylight and accented by a metal spiral staircase.

Most of the units throughout the building feature 10-foot ceilings that allowed the company to reuse the original solid wood doors that came built into the clinic.

During their work, Superior Rentals replaced the building’s roof, HVAC systems and the majority of the windows.

Though building material supply chain issues somewhat impacted the project, the company was able to source some of its cabinetry and millwork items from Hrabak Lumber in Toledo and suffered delays no longer than a month or two.

The apartments mostly feature vinyl flooring in the kitchen and living room areas and carpet in the bedrooms. Appliances are electric and the centralized laundry facility includes cashless washers and dryers that can be controlled and monitored by a smartphone app.

Superior Rentals President Mike Judge said the company continues to feel optimistic toward the Tama-Toledo community as he feels rental housing has been an ongoing need that could increase in the next five years should the Iowa Premium meatpacking facility complete an expansion project that was announced earlier this year.

The southwest corner of Toledo has been a hotbed of development this year as across the street from Deer Creek Apartments, the newly constructed Birkwood Village senior living center is set to open its doors in early November.

Judge said he expects Deer Creek Apartments to be a logical destination for workers coming into the community to work at Birkwood Village.

Room still exists west of the Deer Creek facility for further development. Superior Rentals approached the Toledo City Council in late summer regarding the four acres of open ground west of their apartment complex within the Deer Creek plot.

Their hope was to develop the land into small duplex rental units. However, the request was to allow the company to leave the land zoned as multi-residential rather than subdividing into individual parcels.

No decision on the matter was given by the council at the time though should Superior Rentals want to proceed with a project like that, they would need to seek a variance from the Toledo Board of Adjustments.

Superior Rentals’ profile in Tama-Toledo has now grown to 140 units with their most recent development opening in 2020 at the site of the former Budget Inn motel on Broadway Street in Toledo.

Those interested in more information about Deer Creek Apartments are encouraged to visit superior-rentals.com or call 641-752-2423. The complex is located 401 1st Ave. in Toledo.