Assistant City Manager and Director of Economic Development Tom Franzen told commissioners the company is one of the largest residential developers in the country, and the city investment to extend water and sewer services is a good opportunity to support the new subdivision.
The new housing project will be a third major development in the area, coming on the heels of the planned Melody Parks and Bridgewater locations on the city’s eastern perimeter.
According to Franzen, homes in the newly announced D.L. Horton development will sell in the low to mid $300,000 range.
The company began building operations in 1978 and since then has constructed nearly one million homes across the country, according to the company website. That figure includes multiple subdivisions in nearby communities, including Quail Ridge and Silver Oaks subdivisions in Huber Heights and Carriage Trails in Tipp City.
The new development is another addition to the expanding housing opportunities offered by two other developers new to the Springfield housing market.
Ryan Homes began work on the Bridgewater housing development in 2019 with a plans for 226 new homes in the area at an average price point of $241,000. Construction work on Bridgewater is ongoing, according to Franzen.
Homes in the Bridgewater development are located off South Tuttle Road and are in the Clark-Shawnee School District. Both ranch and two-story houses are available.
The Melody Parks subdivision, located off U.S. Route 40 on the site of the former Melody Drive-In Theater, began development in 2022.
Melody Parks will offer single-family homes, multi-family homes and patio style housing. Site preparation is currently underway, and the builder, Columbus based Borror Construction Company, has plans for a multi-phase project with the first phase starting up in late 2023 or early 2024.
In addition to housing, Melody Parks has plans for mixed use development in the area, including locations for retail, restaurants and other commercial uses such as banks, grocery stores and other community amenities, according to Borror president Jeff Fontaine.
Melody Parks is also located in the Clark-Shawnee School District.
The developments have raised concern among some long-term residents of the area, who worry about the impact on school funding and conversion of what was once a rural community to a more densely populated area with increased traffic.
Franzen said Springfield City Commission will be asked to give final authorization for Borror’s plans for Melody Park within the next 30 days.
Local officials will again have to weigh the impact on the area residents as they consider the D.L. Horton project in the area, now working its way through the CEDA Regional Planning Commission before coming to the Springfield City Commission for a decision.
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