Some St. Albert developers may have the blues this winter, but one company beat Old Man Winter to the ground.
“Very few have their roads in this year,” said Sarasota Homes owner and president Gary Acheson.
“We were the only ones who got the pavement in, which is what we are really pleased with. It was quite an accomplishment given the rainy season.”
Acheson said the comments in reference to construction of a new development called The Orchard of Oakmont.
Some St. Albertans may remember the lot as the home of Robert and June Haudenschild.
The couple sold the property to Sarasota in 2011.
“It is a very, very nice little area and it was June’s parents that first had it and she lived there, and her and Bob lived their lives there and they decided it was time for them to sell and develop the property,” he said.
“It’s a really exciting development for us and we are really excited to get the grounds started to get homes in there.”
The Orchard is the first full land development, design and build project for Sarasota. All of the homes will be custom built and pre-sold, connected by a “windy road,” said Acheson.
He added the properties will have easy access to Red Willow Park walking trails and the river.
“There are river lots and river view lots and that property is so unique that we are spending a lot of time just making sure that the homes complement each other,” he said.
“It’s a stylized, small community and the homes have a character that’s similar. It’s our second project of that nature and the brickwork turned out beautiful.”
Acheson said the company was already working on home designs for a number of clients.
Altogether The Orchard offers 32 lots, of which about six have sold by now. Construction of the first homes is starting soon, with a tentative move-in date by early fall and summer.
Acheson said the homes will resemble the 32 home brickyard development the company constructed in Erin Ridge.
“It should just turn out a little better because the land is a little better,” he said.
