More than a decade after a large neighborhood was planned in Bargersville, development has begun, with homes planned to be built as soon as next month.
But a lot has changed.
No longer is the development planned to be on a golf course. Lot sizes have significantly grown, with a focus on preserving the trees and lakes on the land. And the number of homes has been drastically reduced.
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All of those changes were made based on the feedback local developer Mike Duke has gotten in the last 12 years of building homes, and in research his company has done into what homebuyers want, he said.
Site work is underway for Aberdeen, a 186-lot neighborhood off Morgantown Road, south of County Road 144.
The 277-acre property is part of where Duke had planned to develop the Abbey in 2006. The initial project would have added about 2,000 homes and a golf course on a 1,000-acre property south of Whiteland Road.
But shortly after announcing his plans, the housing market and economy crashed, and Duke delayed the project.
By 2011, he was planning significantly smaller projects in the area, including a handful of gated communities with custom-built homes.
Now, with the resurgence of the housing market and demand for new homes, the project has been redesigned and has already received the approvals needed to begin building, Duke said.
He hopes to begin building the first homes in the next few months as site work is finished, he said. He estimates the starting price will be about $600,000, including the cost of the lot, he said.
After developing multiple homes and neighborhoods throughout the Center Grove area, this is the one that Duke is really excited about, he said.
“I honestly believe this can be the nicest neighborhood in central Indiana,” he said.
Aberdeen combines new concepts that have become part of home building in other areas of the country in recent years, with a focus on wellness and agrihood, said Marcia Duke, Duke Homes marketing director.
The new development will offer larger lot sizes, with most about 1 acre, and some as large as 3 acres. And Duke wants to preserve as much of the natural beauty of the land as possible, including three lakes and a large wooded area, he said. Throughout the development will be trails that residents can use, along with common areas, such as fire pit areas, a playground, a spot for outdoor concerts and to bring in food trucks for residents, a community center with a theater and space for exercise classes and fields for soccer or baseball.
Residents could also fish and use paddle boats or row boats on the lakes.
Community garden areas could grow berries, fruit trees, pumpkins and sweet corn, with a focus on being sustainable and not being a burden on residents, said Isaac Duke, Duke Homes vice president of operations.
All of those features connect residents both to nature and to their community, which is something developers across the country are putting a bigger emphasis on, Isaac Duke said.
Their hope is that the different features and events will help residents connect with their neighbors, he said.
“We want this to be more than just a neighborhood where people go to live,” he said.
In recent years, Mike Duke has been hearing that homebuyers want larger lot sizes and more space — a key reason he significantly reduced the number of homes from previous plans for the Abbey. But they also want to feel a connection with their neighbors, which is why the additional features have been added, he said.
The property is also in an excellent location, off Morgantown Road, which is not too highly trafficked, and right across the street from the new Walnut Grove Elementary School that Center Grove is opening for the 2019-2020 school year, he said. Residents also have easy access to nearby Bargersville, which has been steadily growing and developing in recent years.
Site work is underway near the entrance to the neighborhood, and the first section will be built near there, with a second and third section planned. He hopes to begin building homes as soon as August or September, and estimates the neighborhood will be built in eight to 10 sections, with one built per year.
With few options similar to this neighborhood, he is confident a strong demand exists for these homes, Mike Duke said.
“There is a demand. There are not a lot of properties like this. People want larger lots and features, but also want to be in a community,” he said.
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Here is a closer look at Aberdeen, a new neighborhood planned by Duke Homes in the Center Grove area:
What: Aberdeen will have 186 lots on 277 acres, with lot sizes from 1 to 3 acres
Where: Off Morgantown Road, south of County Road 144
Features: Three lakes, wooded lots, walking trails, community gardens, common areas with a playground, athletic fields, a space for outdoor concerts and food trucks and a community building with exercise classes and an indoor theater
Price: $600,000 and up
Timeline: Homebuilding could start as soon as next month. The neighborhood will be built in eight to 10 phases, with one phase each year.
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