Construction of a new three-story, 300-unit apartment complex is set to begin in the spring on the site of the old Woodlands Athletic Center property in the Village of Grogan's Mill.

Greystar Real Estate Partners, which develops and manages apartments in more than 80 U.S. markets, has purchased the 12.4-acre site at 11111 Winterberry Place. The company plans to open the new "pet friendly" complex in early 2012, said Dan Leverett, vice president for The Woodlands Development Co.

The announcement will be a disappointment to some Grogan's Mill residents who oppose apartments at the old WAC site. Development Standards Committee chairwoman Deborah Sargeant, who also heads the Grogan's Mill Village Association, voted against preliminary plans for the project last December.

"I'm not against apartment complexes," Sargeant said. "I'm opposed to apartments in that location because we have too many and I think it's the wrong usage for that land."

According to an announcement of the project, the "upscale garden apartment community" will have entrances and exits off South Millbend Drive, with a secondary emergency exit off Winterberry Place.

The gated complex � with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, plus 500 parking spaces � will include a 30- to 40-foot border of wooded preserve, and will have access to The Woodlands' hike and bike trail network.

Exteriors will feature rough-sawn cedar and stone, with detached garages and carports available for rent. The average size of the apartments will be 930 square feet.

Scott Wise, executive director of Charleston-based Greystar Real Estate Partners, said the site was "exceptionally well located" in The Woodlands. "The project will target the diverse mix of active professionals who enjoy the many amenities the area has to offer. We're really excited about developing and owning a project in one of Houston's resilient submarkets."

Sargeant said the project would add more traffic to already congested South Millbend Drive.

E-mails from fellow Grogan's Mill residents have been "overwhelmingly" against the apartment plan, she added. "They would love to see a park there or something else that is not another apartment complex."

Township Chairman Bruce Tough acknowledged resident concern over the fate of the old WAC property.

"(Redevelopment) is the future of The Woodlands in our older villages. You have areas that were built 30 or 40 years ago and there is now a higher and better use for the land. That's the evolution of communities."

Tough said there is a high demand for quality apartments in The Woodlands. Younger workers who like the concept of living where they work need alternatives to single-family homes, he said.

"Developers make those decisions based on their demographic surveys. I know the two most recent apartments � the Boardwalk and the Millennium � have high occupancy. They are in big demand�So if I were developing and investing a lot of money into a development project, I'd want one that was going to be assured of success."

Meeks + Partners Architects designed the new Grogan's Mill project.