Craig Crossley, owner and developer of Crosstowne Properties, said the plans will soon go in front of the Springfield City Commission, likely in the beginning of April.
If approved by the city, the houses will feature exterior masonry, low maintenance components, open floor plans, “attractive architectural elements,” bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, attached parking and ample storage space, according to a prior media release.
Crosstowne Properties also anticipates detached patio homes around the perimeter of the development. The interior area will likely include more housing units and a water detention feature.
“We are very excited to be a part of this project, because it allows us to utilize space and assets that already exist to address local housing needs, which we know are a top social determinant of health for Clark County,” said Adam Groshans, Mercy Health — Springfield president. “Building a new neighborhood that’s open to everyone, including our own staff, is a perfect example of the positive change we’re always trying to promote in our efforts to build healthier communities.”
The Wittenberg site will be a mixed-use project with townhomes and may have a small retail area.
Crossley estimated a $30-35 million cost for the project, which would be completed over a four-year period, with 15-20 homes built per year.
He said with construction prices up 30% in the last three years, and interest rates increasing, building affordable houses can be difficult. He said replicating one of the homes the company built just two years ago at Debry Glen Village would cost about $50,000 more today.
Crossley said he expects the homes to be priced in the mid-$300,000 and mid-$400,000 range.
“Just with the land costs and development costs and construction costs — you add those three components together and in today’s world when you do some quality housing in that particular neighborhood, very quickly you get to those minimum prices,” Crossley said.
However, Ryan Crossley, Craig Crossley’s son who also runs the business, said a 15-year tax abatement is planned for residents of the development, meaning they would save $4,000-$6,000 in taxes per year for that time period.
With Fountain Village, the developers aim to increase the quantity of available homes in Springfield, Craig Crossley said.
“Most of the new construction in Springfield has been in the county outlying areas,” he said. “... Housing is really needed, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Craig Crossley said the plan is to build 54 single-family detached homes “on good sized lots.” He said there will be two different options for two-bedroom and three-bedroom designs with front elevations, masonry, gabled roofs and round top windows.
Ryan Crossley said construction should begin in August or September of this year.
The developers already have a list of more than 20 people interested in purchasing homes once completed, Craig Crossley said.
Mercy Health is also considering offering housing incentives to its employees to keep them in the county.
“It’s great that we have more than 2,000 associates, but if 30% of them clock out and leave town, we’re missing a key piece in our ability to serve the community,” Groshans said in a prior release. “We want to help folks get into the community where they work, whether that be our existing staff or new talent we’re bringing into the area. The goal is to help them get invested and involved, feeling connected to this community, so they can become long term fixtures in the amazing progress we’re making here.”
Crosstowne previously developed and built Prestwick Village, which has 44 houses, and Derby Glen Village, which has 22 homes. The developer and its affiliated companies have built more than 15 communities in Springfield, Dayton and the Carolinas in the past 30 years.
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