Despite a plethora of “For Rent” signs around the city, a Lawrence apartment complex is planning a $15 million expansion that will add 172 units to the market.

The Legends, a 200-unit apartment complex located on the south side of Clinton Parkway between Crossgate and Inverness drives, will seek final approval for its expansion plans from city commissioners at their July 13 meeting.

The expansion will be directly west of the current complex on 12.5 acres and will include 16 townhomes and 156 units with a mix of one-, two- and four-bedroom apartments.

The project’s developer — San Antonio-based Callaway Development Corp. — hopes to have the expansion completed by August 2005.

Callaway officials said they had noticed the Lawrence rental market had become more competitive, and acknowledged complexes have had to become more aggressive with incentives to attract tenants. But Greg Callaway, vice president of development for the company, said he thought the slow market was just a short-term cycle.

“We have concerns with the local market right now, but we are taking a long-term philosophy,” Callaway said. “We are patient people, patient investors.”

Diane Lawson, vice president of the company’s property management division, said the project would continue to target Kansas University students, which was another reason the company felt comfortable moving forward.

“KU is what brought us here, and we don’t see any signs of its growth stopping or slowing,” Lawson said.

Some in the apartment industry, though, are concerned that the new development will put a squeeze on existing complexes.

“We had so many vacancies that we were giving away three months rent to get them filled,” said Karin Deursch, manager at Cedarwood Apartments, 2411 Cedarwood Ave. “This will just make the situation even tougher. To me, apartment wise, this place is way overbuilt.”

Hutton Farms, a 212-unit rental community at the northwest corner of Kasold Drive and Peterson Road, will begin renting units next month. The recent developments, though, still trail the rental building boom the city went through in the mid-1990s. In 1996, the apartment boom hit its peak with 972 units built in the city.

The Legends expansion will offer lots of amenities to attract university students, Lawson said. Among its features are: a full-size indoor gym — complete with bleachers — that will accommodate basketball and volleyball; an outdoor water volleyball pool; a five-hole putting green; and a sports lounge with a commercial kitchen.

“We want to give them a good reason to stay here,” Lawson said. “We don’t want them to feel like they have to run all over town for entertainment. The students like that and the parents of the students like that.”

The Legends, a 200-unit apartment complex located at the intersection of Crossgate and Inverness drives, plans to add 172 units. The expansion, which will include apartments and townhomes, will feature an indoor gym, outdoor volleyball pool, putting green and sports lounge. Tenants lounged at the complex's pool on June 25.