Sawyer Building on West Broadway, Council Bluffs.

Momentum is on the rise at a new commercial/residential building in the 100 block of West Broadway.

“We’re moving to the roof,” said Kari Jeune of J Development Co. of Council Bluffs.

She was referring to the construction going on across the street from her office in the city’s oldest commercial block. Workers are building a 36-unit, three-floor apartment/retail structure that will also include 10 row houses to the south.

“We’re doing well,” Jeune said of the construction. “The third floor walls are already up.”

The first floor will contain the commercial spaces with the square footage still open so that the tenants can custom build to their needs, she said.

There will be 26 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the upper two floors facing West Broadway, while the Pierce Street side will feature those 10 row houses for a total of 36 living units. In the middle will be a parking garage with 38 stalls for the residents and the remainder for commercial uses.

Of the total number of apartments, 19 will be specifically designated to persons earning at or below 80 percent of the median family income. The apartments will feature large windows and high ceilings.

The project costs $8.9 million.

The large windows and brick exterior on the 100 block side are comparable to many of the buildings across the street, The plan is to finish the West Broadway side this summer and then move on to the parking area and row houses, Jeune said. Interest seems to be high for the commercial floor, but nothing has yet been finalized.

In a couple of weeks, more information on the building will be put online at www.thesawyerbuilding.com.