The Flats On 8th Will Host Open House July 4

For the last two years, the Meuret family has been working to provide a new way of living in Neligh.

The Flats on 8th manager Trisha Howard, who is from Brunswick and now resides in Omaha, said her parents, Pat and Holly Meuret, and aunt and uncle, Jim and Laurie Meuret, are responsible for the apartment complex’s construction.

The Meuret family lives in and owns the J.E. Meuret Grain Company in Brunswick, but decided to build the apartments to fill a need they saw in Antelope County, according to Howard.

“All of the Meurets saw this need come up a couple of years ago,” she said. “They realized that there was a need for housing in Antelope County. And so, they have been working for the last two years to really make this apartment complex a reality.”

Because of different businesses and activities Neligh provides, the family decided 705 W. 8th St. would be the ideal location, Howard said.    

“They wanted to do something nearby and in a town that has a lot to offer, and Neligh has a lot to offer for tenants,” she said.

According to Howard, the peace of mind that it provides its residents sets The Flats on 8th apart from other complexes. It takes care of bills, utilities, outdoor and indoor maintenance and also arranges housekeeping for rooms every two weeks.  

“The Flats on 8th is an all-inclusive apartment complex,” she said. “So, we are offering our tenants the ability to move in and then not have to worry about anything else really. We take care of all of the utilities, we have cable, we have phone lines that are already set up and in there with phones attached, we have internet taken care of. We pay for all of those things.”

However, it’s not just the services that it provides that make the apartments so special, Howard said.

“Beyond just those parts with that all-inclusive aspect of it, it’s really a nice facility,” she said. “It’s brand new, built from the ground up and it has higher-end finishes. It’s really a nice, spacious, brand new, upscale living unit.”

The Willows Assisted Living is partnered with, and conveniently located across from, the new complex. Its employees will complete the apartments’ housekeeping and maintenance.

”They’re actually helping with different aspects of The Flats on 8th,” Howard said. “So, we’re partnering with them for housekeeping purposes, so all of our tenants will have housekeeping in their units every other week. Any maintenance needs that come up, The Willows is also taking care of for us.”

The Flats on 8th will host an open house on July 4, after the Old Mill Days Grand Parade until 4 p.m. There, people can come and tour the complex, including the two different room styles – a one-bedroom with a large entertaining area and a one-bedroom with a flex room. Both are priced at a monthly rate of $1,400.

“People can come, and they can walk around. They can see both the one-bedroom unit and the flex unit,” Howard said. “They can check out our really spacious and beautiful community room and just get a feel for what The Flats are and talk to us about if they want to live there or if they know somebody who might want to live there.”

Howard and the Meuret family will be there to answer all questions.

Even though it’s not the finished product yet, and still has some interior and exterior projects, Howard said they didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to draw in a crowd from Old Mill Days.

The 12-unit apartment complex is cleared for occupancy and a few tenants are already prepared to move in within the next few weeks, she said.

“A few of our tenants who are set to move in are kind of holding so that they don’t have to deal with all of the construction noise,” Howard said. “But, I would guess within the next few weeks, we’ll have people living in the units.”

The Flats on 8th is limiting each room’s occupancy to two residents and welcomes people of all ages. According to Howard, they have primarily had calls from older people who are looking to move out of their homes, but they’ve also received inquiries from people in their mid-20s and low-30s seeking housing options.

“I just think it’s just a really great thing for the City of Neligh to have, this additional option for people – a place for them to live where they really can live that all-inclusive lifestyle and just not have to worry about home ownership and all that comes with it,” she said.​