Leaders of Heart of America Group on Tuesday gave a sneak peek tour of their new mixed-use development in East Village that will feature 161 residential units and 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

The Business Record joined city and business leaders from across the metro to get an early look at The Aston of East Village, a 228,000-square-foot, seven-story building at 603 E. Sixth St., constructed of concrete with pre-slab and insulated concrete forms.

The residential units include 36 studios, 78 one-bedroom units and 47 two-bedroom units. Seventeen units will be dedicated for workforce housing, with 10 units as Americans with Disability Act certified. Apartments range in size from 499 square feet to 1,134 square feet.

Representatives of Heart of America Group said the goal is to begin leasing and have tenants take occupancy in October.

The commercial space is designed to build-to-suit, depending on tenant needs. It could be divided up for use by multiple tenants or left open if a tenant wants the entire space, representatives said.

No timeline for tenant occupancy was immediately available.

The Aston of East Village is built on a site that according to the developer has a long history of undocumented uses. Most recently it was the site of the American College of Hairstyling.

During excavation, numerous buried foundations and abandoned utilities were uncovered. A previously unknown underground tank containing hazardous materials was also uncovered, requiring environmental remediation, officials said.

Residential units feature tall, warehouse-loft style windows to provide abundant natural light, walk-in closets, and upscale finishes and fixtures.

Its construction and the high-quality windows keep out outside noise and prevent noise from traveling between floors and apartments, said Mike Whalen, founder of Heart of America Group.

The Aston of East Village is closely modeled after the 110-unit Tempo apartment building, Heart of America Group built at 317 E. Sixth St., which opened in 2024.

Amenities at the complex will include a fitness center with outdoor studio, a lounge with poker and pool tables, an area with private workstations and coworking lobby, a courtyard with pickleball and bocce courts, grills and a dog park. There will also be a dog-wash station and spa. Storage for bicycles will be available, and the building provides tenants underground parking.

According to the Heart of America Group, the site had an assessed value of $800,000 prior to redevelopment. Once complete, the assessed value will increase to between $28 million and $33 million.

The developer said workforce housing credits and Redevelopment Tax Credits were used to make the project a reality.

“This project is intended to strengthen the East Village’s role as a dense, mixed-use and economically productive neighborhood, while demonstrating how public incentives can responsibly leverage private investment for long-term community return,” Heart of America Group said in a statement.