NEW ERA COMES TO YORKVILLE

December 9, 2005
BY LARRY FINLEY Real Estate Reporter

Yorkville is the center of the second-fastest growing county in the nation.

Most of the area's major suburban builders have sunk their shovels into Yorkville soil, and more than a dozen custom builders and mid-size companies are adding to the production.

With the population hovering around 13,000, projections are that Yorkville could reach 46,687 by 2010, according to Lynn Dubajic, executive director of the Yorkville Economic Development Corp. One year ago that prediction was 30,000 by 2010.

There are 52 residential projects with a total of 21,025 units" approved or in the process, Dubajic said. "And out of that total there are 18,398 left to be constructed."

Single-family houses constitute the bulk of the total with 12,666. Town houses account for 4,072, condominiums 1,184, and duplexes an even 1,000. The remainder are multi-family units, apartments and senior or age-restricted projects.

"We definitely have been identified as part of the future," Dubajic said.

Yorkville saw the growth coming more than a decade ago and has been gearing up for it with expansions of roads and streets, sewer and water and other city services such as schools, parks and the library.

The rapid growth of residential rooftops along the Fox River has made it easier to attract the retail and business interests that the city needs to sustain growth and service the increasing population, she said.

Last month, Yorkville Mayor Arthur F. Prochaska Jr. announced that the city had landed a Wal-Mart Supercenter to be located at U.S. 34 and Countryside Parkway, next to the new U.S. post office. The Wal-Mart operation will occupy some 29 acres and provide 350 to 450 jobs, he said. This should add about $400,000 in sales tax and $300,000 in property taxes to the city.

Other new businesses include a 165,000-square-foot Menards Home Improvement Center and a 65,000-square-foot Jewel/Osco complex. The Wrigley Corp. recently announced that it would build the world headquarters of its Amurol Confection Division in Yorkville.

The intersection of Galena Road and Illinois 47 in the northern part of the city is an example of their residential growth, Dubajic said. Pulte Homes and Del Webb are putting in as many as 1,300 single-family homes and age-restricted units on the northwest corner.

Centex Homes is building Bristol Bay on the northeast corner, with more than 2,000 units. And Ocean Atlantic, from Alexandrea, Va., will be on the southwest corner with as many as 3,000 housing units, an 18-hole golf course and shopping.

In the southeast part of the city, Lennar Chicago and Concord Homes continue to expand their Raintree Village clubhouse community at Illinois 47 and Illinois 71. The 320-acre development eventually will include more than 600 single-family homes, town houses and duplexes.

"It's amazing to watch it take shape," said Leigh Nevers, vice president of marketing for Lennar Chicago. "Yorkville is the hot spot, and we are in the middle of it."

Both builders are starting new lines of homes at Raintree Village in response to the public, she said.

"We are introducing a little smaller line than what we built previously," she said. "This is based on research on what the buyers are demanding and what the market will absorb."

Their first single-family designs average about 2,900 square feet and have sold out. On Nov. 26, they offered new 4-bedroom plans that range from about 2,500 to 2,700 square feet. They have 2-1/2 baths, dens, full basements and 2- or 3-car garages. Prices start at $260,900 to $278,900.

Concord will feature 4-bedroom, 2-story plans, ranging from about 1,900 to 2,500 square feet, with prices starting in the low $200,000s, she said.

"Raintree will have more than 600 homes, and we are trying to get product mix," Nevers said. "Right now, we are seeing pretty much a first-time buyer market. Lennar is also selling duplexes, and Lennar will be selling town homes. So it will have something for everyone.

"The clubhouse played a big role in [buyers'] decisions to purchase at Raintree Village," Nevers said.

The two pools there have closed for the season and activities have moved inside the 3,700-square-foot building. The clubhouse includes a fitness center with multiple machines and free weights, a library, a club room, a fireplace, a kitchen and a dining area with cafe-style tables.

Raintree Village is at Illinois 47 and Illinois 71. Call (630) 553-7642.

Del Webb and Pulte Homes have just received permission from the local government to develop more than 1,000 single-family houses and town houses on more than 550 acres at Illinois 47 and Galena Road. The name of the subdivision and further details have not been announced.

This project is in addition to Pulte Homes' Autumn Creek, which opened for sales last month. It will include 317 single-family houses and 258 town houses on 264 acres, located directly off U.S. 34 near Illinois 47.

The grounds feature a group of ponds at its center, with many of the town houses backing to the water. Several other water features are placed amid the single-family homes. Other amenities include a playground, walking and biking trails plus 92 acres of open green space.

The single-family plans start at $247,000 to $286,000. They range in size from 1,775 to 3,036 square feet and have 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, a family room that opens to the kitchen and breakfast area, a master suite and 2-car garage.

The town houses start at $147,000 and are approximately 1,150 to 1,574 square feet. They are both 2-story and ranch layouts, with 2 or 3 bedrooms and up to 2-1/2 baths. Amenities include master suites with walk-in closets and 2-car attached garages. They are located toward the community's center and marked with their own entrance feature. Call (630) 553-4300 or visit www.pulte.com.

Bristol Bay is one of the city's new "mega-developments" with a New England flair. Centex Homes plans more than 2,000 single-family houses, duplexes, town houses and condominiums on more than 600 acres.

Condominium sales began recently and new town houses and single-family homes continue. The 1- and 2-bedroom condos range from about $110,000 to the $140,000s. They have 1 or 2 baths and 788 to 1,150 square feet. A parking space is included.

The single-family homes have 2 to 4 bedrooms, 1 to 2-1/2 baths, and are priced from $203,000 to the $240,000s. Sizes range from about 1,117 to 3,509 square feet.

There are three lines of town houses with 2 or 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 baths, and sizes from about 1,100 to 2,290 square feet. Prices range from the $148,000s to the low $200,000s.

Bristol Bay is off Galena Road and Illinois 47. Call (866) 722-0666.

The Grande Reserve master-planned, clubhouse community is the largest mega-development under construction currently. On more than 1,100 acres, it will include about 2,650 single-family homes, duplexes, town houses and apartments.

It is built around the Aquatic Center and Clubhouse, a 4-acre recreation complex, including three swimming pools and a clubhouse with a great room, fireplace, media center and multi-function rooms.

About 90 of the single-family homes are semi-custom plans being built by Kensington Homes in the Eaglecrest section.

Five 2-story designs range from 3,100 to 4,048 square feet, with 4 to 6 bedrooms, 2-1/2 to 41/2 baths, bonus rooms, studies, family tech centers, four-season rooms, full basements and 3- or 4-car front-load garages. Base prices start at $352,000.

Standards include 9- to 12-foot main-level ceilings, brick fireplaces, hardwood floors, oak railings, studies, wall-to-wall carpeting, open staircases with half walls and millwork, basements, and Cat 5 and RG-6 wiring.

Options include additional bedrooms or baths; expanded family rooms; lofts and bonus rooms; first-floor guest suites; master suites with sitting rooms; master luxury baths with his and hers sinks; granite countertops; wet bars; hardwood or ceramic floors; stone fireplaces; arched openings and columns and cedar decks.

Eaglecrest at Grand Reserve is off U.S. 34 ( Ogden Avenue) and east of Illinois 47. Call (630) 553-2201 or visit www.mykensingtonhome.com.

Grande Reserve is a joint venture of MPI (Moser Enterprises Inc., Pasquinelli Homes and Isenstein LLC).

Pasquinelli has both single-family homes and town houses there. The single-family designs come in ranch and 2-story plans. They range from 1,702 to 2,680 square feet, with 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 or 2-1/2 baths and 2-car garages.

Base prices start at about $238,000 to $275,000. Call (630) 553-3962 or visit www.pasquinelli.com.

Their town houses are in both the Mill Crossing and Commons sections. They have 2 or 3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths and 2-car garages. Sizes range from 1,254 to 2,051 square feet. Prices start at $165,000 to $196,000. Call (630) 896-5368.

Also building in the Eaglecrest section is Gladstone Homes, which is offering single-family designs up to 4,000-plus square feet, with prices starting from the $370,000s. Call (630) 553-5588.

Large single-family homes also are being offered by Richmond American Homes. Their 3- and 4-bedroom plans range from about $283,000 to $429,000 and 2,115 to 3,142 square feet. They have 2-1/2 or 3-1/2 baths and 2- or 3-car garages. Call (630) 882-8290 or visit www.richmondamerican.com.

Large lot sizes and upscale features are proving popular at Prairie Meadows, a single-family home development by AMG Homes, at Illinois 47 and Kennedy Road.

More than half of the lots range from 17,000 to 37,000 square feet, and the minimum is 12,000 square feet. There are 20 floor plans, with two to six elevations each, and a large variety of upgrades and options to further personalize the plan, according to Jennifer Lawrence, sales associate for AMG Homes.

Some features known to be popular with move-up home buyers are included as standards, such as full basements, air conditioning, 2-story family rooms and vaulted ceilings, she said.

The ranch and 2-story styles have 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2 to 3-1/2 baths, 2-car garages (3-car and side-load garages are optional), and oak kitchen cabinets. Home sizes vary from 1,725 to 3,100 square feet, and base prices start at $259,900.

Prairie Meadows is at Illinois 47 and Kennedy Road. Call (630) 553-1961 or visit www.amghomesinc. com.

Whispering Meadows, at Illinois 47 and Alan Dale Lane, is another master-planned community with an emphasis on recreational opportunities. It features a clubhouse with a recreation room, a pool and cabana. There is a gazebo, tot lot and bicycle path.

The 80-acre neighborhood will feature 344 Kimball Hill homes, with 43 acres of open space, a 12-acre park and a 15-acre site for a school.

There are nine single-family plans, which are sized from 1,632 to 3,223 square feet, with prices starting at $235,000 and ranging up to $287,000. A limited number of lookout basement sites are available.

The plans include 3 or 4 bedrooms; 2-1/2 baths; family rooms; partial basements and attached 2-car garages. Master suites feature walk-in closets and private baths. A ranch design includes 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Call (630) 553-1096.

William Ryan Homes is building 93 single-family houses at Whispering Meadows. Base prices range from $269,000 to $314,000, including partial basements and 3-car garages.

The model homes on display include full basements, kitchens with morning rooms or breakfast areas, air conditioning, hardwood or ceramic tile flooring in key areas; upgraded carpeting and padding; master baths with separate showers, soaking tubs, double-bowl vanities and 50-gallon water heaters.

In addition, the homes may include such accents as decorative arches, volume ceilings in master bedrooms, fireplaces, oak railings, computer areas, upgraded front doors, and deluxe morning rooms with vaulted ceilings and designer windows.

The Whispering Meadows sales center is west of Illinois 47 on Alan Dale Lane off Cannonball Trail and Faxon. Call (630) 553-7474 or visit williamryanhomes. com.

Buckingham Builders is part of the Heartland Circle development, with 45 homes to be located within a 200-lot community at U.S. 34 and McHugh Road.

Buckingham is offering 2-story and ranch plans with 2 to 6 bedrooms, 2 to 41/2 baths, 2- to 5-car garages, full basements, and approximately 2,000 to 4,000 square feet. Prices range from the upper $200,000s to the $700,000s.

Though they offer 13 standard designs, the semi-custom builder will modify a plan to suit a shopper's needs, said Al Darwan, company president.

"We try to learn as much as we can about how that buyer plans to use their living space, and then we make recommendations designed to accommodate that lifestyle --from moving walls to building an extra bedroom to rearranging an entire floor," Darwan said.

Buckingham Builders also has an inventory home for immediate move-in at Heartland Circle. The Durham, located at 952 Heartland Dr., offers 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, full basement, two-story foyer and family room, formal living room and dining room, island kitchen with a large walk-in pantry, master bedroom suite with sitting area, walk-in closet and master bath with corner soaking tub. The Durham is priced at $355,500. For more information, call (815) 577-0077 or visit www.buckinghambuilders.com.

The ranch houses at Farm Colony will be on extra-large sites in order to handle their 3,200 square feet of floor space. The Wildwood II model sits on a 1-acre parcel, for example.

The house will have an equally large lookout basement with a 9-foot ceiling. There is a 3-car garage, and partial brick/stone exterior. The Sundown Homes base price is $494,900.

Features include a formal dining room with an 11-foot ceiling, and a study with French doors and a bay window.

The great room has a vaulted ceiling and wood-burning fireplace with stone facing. The breakfast room has sliding glass doors to the screened-in porch or back yard. The kitchen will feature hardwood cabinets, hardwood flooring and solid-surface countertops. Home buyers will pick their own appliances.

Behind the den, along an entire side of the house, will be the master bedroom suite, with tray ceiling, sitting area, walk-in closet and ceramic-tile bath with double-bowl vanity, whirlpool tub and separate shower with multiple body sprays. Additional features include three more bedrooms, an additional bath and a half, laundry room, screen porch and a 3-car garage.

Farm Colony is off of Illinois 71 on Hilltop Road, five miles west of the U.S. 34 and Illinois 71 intersection. Call (630) 554-0932 or visit www.sundownhomes.net.

Duplexes are featured at Villas at the Preserve, where preconstruction sales have begun.

There will be two units per building set amid trees and professionally installed landscaping. The duplexes will range from 1,974 to 2,198 square feet and will include 2 or 3 bedrooms. Each has a private entrance, finished 2-car garage, and shares only one common wall with a neighbor. Built by Raycorp Inc., of Tinley Park, they are priced from about $250,000 to $265,000.

Standard features include ceramic floor tile, cathedral ceilings, and a full appliance package (gas range, refrigerator with ice maker, garbage disposer, dishwasher). Some lots adjoining wooded areas or along ponds or a creek are available.

They have maintenance-free stone and siding, architectural roof shingles and a fire suppression sprinkler system. Each has 2-1/2 baths, great room, formal dining room, eat-in kitchen, first-floor master bedroom suite and a second-floor guest room. Master baths include a glass shower, double-bowl vanity and linen closet.

Residents will have access to a gazebo, gardens, picnic area, walking paths, nature trails and a stocked fishing pond.

Villas of the Preserve is on the south side of Illinois 71, west of Illinois 47. Call (630) 882-8899or visit www.Raycorpinc.net

FOOTNOTE: The fastest growing county in the nation last year was Flagler County, Fla., which increased by 10.1 percent to 69,005 in a 12-month period, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county includes Daytona and Jacksonville in northeast Florida.

Kendall County -- which includes Yorkville, Plano and Oswego -- grew at a rate of 8.3 percent to 72,548.