Progress Report Richfield 2
There are some things I know I will only get to do once in my life and others I may only get to do a relatively few times. This item falls under the category of something I will only get to do a few times. Specifically, building a three homes at the same time, in the same neighborhood all of a showcase quality, all with some or many new twists and turns and innovations, ALL will be in the big Parade Of Homes event coming this Summer to Richfield’s Reflection’s Village.
I have written about Reflection’s before, but Reflections Village is somewhat of a “great experiment” and one that is exciting indeed to think may be possible. A small village unto itself, complete with fishing pond, club house and pool, a central park with band shell, nostalgic-styled homes, playground, extensive lush landscaping, more walking paths and sidewalks than I ever thought possible in one community, and a shopping district, which is starting with a fancifully designed bank building. Perhaps this shopping village area will one day have restaurants, a barber shop, bakery, gift shops, who knows, but ALL in a quaint town square style.
A few years ago, I had a strangely similar vision to do something like this a few miles away in Germantown. I envisioned a circular town square where a waterway would join the parking lot to the village via a river pathway. Small tour boats would take visitors to the center of this town via these boats. Horse carriages and old 1920’s streetcars would also transport guests “back” into a world which was seemingly cut-off from today’s world by means of high landscaping and berms.
My dream DID get off the ground. We had done millions of dollars of work on this development having cut in the waterways and a huge pond(almost a lake), and put in most of the infrastructure for this town square of 12 homes and a big main office building. We got the foundation for the 15,000 square foot building installed. We had the land preparred for my personal residence. The designs were all done and paid for. We got all the septic systems installed. All the major grading was done. We blasted enough stone (and brought in huge stone crushing machines to pulverize the rock into smaller usable stones for the building’s construction) to make the entire 80 acres look more like a stone quarry than the future town square it might become.
I had envisioned a place where the community could come to see live theatre on our office’s seminar stage. A place to have community fireworks on special events. A place where we would have a unique mini-golf course, a tethered hot air balloon ride for getting a birds-eye view of the countryside, but mostly, a place to see the very latest home ideas of all sorts. We would start with two concept homes and one central “castle“(actually a colonial building but at night it’s shape would remind you of a castle) which would be the client center for selections of home products. There would be music, fun, and adventure with annual art fairs on the grounds and maybe even a restaurant. A horse stable to allow folks to ride the trails in a wooded area around the pond. Our special guests(those who had bought one of our homes) would have an anytime pass to a video arcade, sand beach, and party villa which could be reserved for functions. The interior of the main building would have historically recreated rooms from famous buildings to serve as conference rooms. It would be a place which would attract home shoppers and fun lovers alike from across the state and beyond. Much of this had been approved, some of this needed to be approved.
All of this came very, very close to happening. Then came 2006 and it’s great and sudden decline in home sales. At first, it seemed like maybe we could continue this project on a less aggressive , slower path. As the months continued to pass, and sales continued to slow even more, it became apparent that this was not the right time to continue this dream. We pulled the plug, sent the excavators home, having just finished a $100,000 deep water well, we stopped proceeding to install the pumps. We removed the driveway culverts and put everything on ice, awaiting the time to improve and allow us to continue the dream. Not a week passes that I don’t think about the dream and the hibernation of that dream and wonder how, when, and if we will ever be able to awaken this sleeping giant. With banking circumstances as tight as they have gotten, with the housing market having changed so radically, I just don’t know the answer.
I do know that God always has a plan and that plan is far greater and more creative than any idea I could ever imagine. This brings us full circle to Reflection’s Village. Strangely , our Miracle Village would have not been exactly like this development but the similarities are definitely clear. At the heart of our involvement with Reflections, will be our most creative innovative ideas in new homes. Better yet, unlike Miracle Village, in Reflection’s, anyone can live in one of our(or other’s) creative homes.
In my previous post, I gave you a report on our first home of the 3 we are building. Stay tuned for news on our second home design we are building. It is a stressful time in getting these 3 homes completed, but it is a great time , a fun time as well.
To let you know how the market is doing, we have signed 4 new home sales in the last 10 days. I expect we will sign another 2 this week. I keep thinking the home market is back, but I still don’t see the real action in the higher priced homes above $300,000. Since Reflections is likely in the $300 ,000 to $500,000 arena, I hope with the best interest rates…EVER(?), with banks just starting to loosen their grip….a little, Reflections, as I said, is the “great experiment“. If it works, who knows what dreams may be awoken.
I hope you all will take a drive out to see the excitement , (I swear I can actually feel the excitement) happening in Richfield. The development will probably hit the airwaves with our radio and newspaper ads in a few weeks. If you do go out there, make sure you pick up one of our full color flyer’s in a brochure box under our big “bill board” signs, identifying our homes.
Thanks for taking the time to read the blog. I appreciate comments, but make sure I can tell them from the many spam comments I get daily by mentioning a specific detail of a blog entry. I erase sooo many questionable spam comments.
Until we dream again,
Blessings,
Tom Hignite
