GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- Grand Island is growing, and with it, the need for housing.

To address such a need, Legacy 34 Apartments owner Scott Rief knew he had to bring something different to the table.

“This is a step-up community, this is a community to recruit professionals to this community but also retain those professionals that are already living here, a place for them to live,” Rief said. 

To develop such a community, Rief is offering what he calls the “Disney of neighborhoods”.

“We are building a village," Rief said. "We’re building the parks. We’re building the downtown. We’re building the lakes. We’re building all these different things to create a little village but as part of Grand Island."

The first phase of the project has been completed and it has 90 apartment units.

The second phase will have 120 units.

Construction starts later this month and work will begin on the development's downtown district in August.

Rief said he wants people to feel at home at this community,

“What we wanted, we wanted people to feel differently, we wanted them to feel comfortable we wanted them to have curiosity of hey what’s around the corner?” Rief said. 

The downtown area plans to have a daily restaurant, a high-end restaurant, coffee shop and ice cream shop. 

There will also be a city trail that will connect through the neighborhood, the downtown area and through Cedar Hills Park.

There will also be a trail along Husker Highway in front of Heartland Lutheran to connect to Indianhead Golf Course.

The development also includes three lakes that will be interconnected. 

Rief said he’s excited about the project and what it would mean for Grand Island. 

“I think if you can really make a community then you can retain your residents within that community, and then also you something you can grow off,” Rief said.