The new hip place to live is…Quincy?

Up until recently, Quincy was unlikely to be on anyone’s hip place to live list. But when local developers Damian Szary and Kyle Warwick, co-principals of Gate Residential, were approached by Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Company to helm a new apartment building in Quincy center, they jumped at the chance.

“When Quincy Mutual reached out to us, we saw it was a great fit,” says Warwick. “If you look at our other developments, Quincy fits the profile.” Those other developments include commuter friendly Maxwell’s Green in Somerville and One North of Boston in Chelsea. “There’s both easy proximity to the Red Line and the Commuter Rail, which are a block and a half away from Quincy Center. What with the infrastructure, it works for our demographic of 25 to 30 year olds.”

“Quincy’s rebirth will largely be driven by Millennials who want to live close to an urban environment and have great restaurants,” says Szary. “Up until now, there wasn’t a lot of appeal. Quincy’s apartments were dated and older. But there are great restaurants opening up. It’s starting to change.”

Split into two phases — West of Chestnut and East of Chestnut — Gate Residential will bring an expected 400 homes to Quincy Center. Phase one, West of Chestnut, breaks ground in February and is projected for completion in April 2016. Leasing, says Warwick, could be underway by early 2016. Rents, says Warwick, are expected to be, “south of two thousand for a one-bedroom.”

Straddling Chestnut and Hancock Streets, West of Chestnut will offer 169 apartments in a six-story mid-rise building, which will include a café, a club suite, a fitness center, a dog-washing station, a media room, a yoga studio, and an outdoor courtyard. It will also add 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on the ground level.

“This is a dynamic change for downtown Quincy,” says Szary, “This is the tip of the iceberg of what can happen here.”

The $100 million residential and commercial project to re-develop Quincy Center also includes the renovated Quincy Center MBTA station, the newly remodeled City Hall, and the planned Adams Green Park. What with its central position, there’s a lot riding on the success of West of Chestnut. “We’re contracted for West of Chestnut, if that’s successful, then we move to phase two,” says Szary. “What happens with this development is pivotal to the successful redevelopment of Quincy Center.”