Investment propertyIn-fill Urban Gems: The Resurrection of Chic City Living
It"s not a revelation that suburbia isn"t everyone"s idea of utopia.
Unending tracts of land carved out in swirls of cul-de-sacs and barely
landscaped streets, with commutes only the happily masochistic could love
just doesn"t do it for every new home buyer. And yet, what are buyers to do
when they don"t care for the alternative of "well-worn" housing in closer-in,
established city areas? The answer may be "in-fill", a term that brings joy
to the hearts of city re-developers and can create award-winning fodder for
builder trade magazines. In-fill may be loosely defined as the use of older,
built-out urban areas or semi-urban areas for replacement by brand new or
completely re-furbished housing, using existing utilities and infrastructure.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, in-fill is greatly supported by older cities,
which have seen resources and citizens diverted to new suburban developments
instead of replenishing their already-developed infrastructures. In contrast
to the mega-developers" mass-produced boxes in neat, but endless rows,
in-fill product is usually hammered out in smaller numbers of ten to fifty
homes. And, to the delight of both environmentalists and city-loving types,
commute times are shortened by housing buyers closer, time or distance-wise,
to their jobs. A migration back to the cities has now become a trend even
for the wealthy sector, who may be bored suburban life, citing the need for
increased access to a city"s revitalized atmosphere, with its more
stimulating shopping, theater, and recreation zones.
While in-fill projects inherently have more restrictions and complications
overall than those found in classic suburban production home scenarios,
in-fill development also comes with the dilemmas of toxic issues, brown
fields in need of greening, and considerable costs to developers braving the
challenge. Potential problems can include noise and traffic from nearby
commercial sites and issues relating to developer and city fees, to name a
few. Complaints created by neighbors of established neighborhoods can range
from the perceptions of overburdened use of infrastructures to concerns over
developer "white elephants" in terms of design and blend with the older
areas. Because approximately 80% of the in-fill sites require the demolition
of all or part of the existing structures before new homes can be built,
tear-downs and ensuing renovation can create challenges in terms of time
constraints and approvals for the in-fill developer.
"Builders considering this type of development must have a team of experts
in place from the beginning to help resolve these issues, capable of handling
identification and removal of any toxins on the site," warns Debra Bernard of
Bernard Marketing Group of Walnut Creek. Bernard has worked with several Bay
Area builders helping to coordinate and market their in-fill projects.
"Community public relations is particularly important in some cases, where
there may be controversy surrounding the newly developed neighborhood due to
the conversion from public uses to private residences, " says Bernard.
Architecturally speaking, some in-fill builders are commonly creating
loft-type homes with room for owner parking. These revitalized urban
dwellings can have large, expansive interiors and create their own slice of
city life with an eclectic but electric sophistication not found elsewhere.
Other types of in-fill housing may maintain the cozy, traditional designs
found in the suburbs, incorporating attached housing with smaller yards, or
high-density (10-13 units per acre) cluster housing with its bent towards
courtyards and common areas.
Regis Homes of Northern California has answered the challenges posed by
in-fill projects in both the Bay Area and Sacramento areas over the past few
years. In Sacramento, Regis, together with the Sacramento Redevelopment
Housing Agency, cooperated to create "Metro Square", an entire city block of
new homes , in the core of the capital city"s downtown area. This wildly
successful (sold out in 48 hours) project incorporated the "Craftsman"
architecture from the surrounding Victorian-style homes. "It blended so well
into the neighborhood, with its trademark monolithic Sacramento shades trees,
that it"s hard to tell what"s new and what"s not, " according to Jill Hardy,
Sacramento sales and marketing manager. The 45 single family homes, at the
density of an unusual 18 homes per acre, included 1 and 2-car attached
garages. Recipient of countless site design and architectural awards, Regis
Homes" Metro Square has become an icon to the in-fill possibilities existing
in the heart of Sacramento.
The developer is also currently developing "Humboldt Square", a townhome
community consisting of 26 shingled but chic traditional-style units in the
heart of San Mateo. Sandwiched between two major conduits for transportation
to and from downtown San Mateo, these 2 and 3 bedroom homes are a cutting
edge example of urban renewal. With help and encouragement of the San Mateo
Redevelopment Agency, Regis Homes was able to replace a group of older,
single family homes with the new project, providing a much needed face lift
to the neighborhood, just blocks from a new Cal Train station. It"s a
location both Bay Area commuters and downtown San Mateo professionals can
appreciate, now that the San Jose-San Francisco commuter corridor is being
enhanced with comprehensive Peninsula rail service. It is also a part of an
intense improvement and upscaling to the entire surrounding area, where fancy
retailers are cropping up and the future is looking bright.
Among the challenges facing the developer was the design of denser living
spaces that could still offer a livable, comfortable lifestyle to its
residents. "Buyers are excited about the design," says Regis Homes" Vice
President Todd Regonini. "We were able to find an architectural style that
blends with the surrounding area, and offer homes with attached garages and
some side and backyard living space as well. With wide, inviting front
porches along the street frontages, buyers saw a sense of "neighborhood" yet
an integration into the urban spaces." Selling at a brisk pace in the high
$300"000"s, Humboldt Square answers the call for both urban redevelopment
and buyer demand for convenient, yet elegant living.
Although urban sprawl has given way to suburban sprawl, some of us, after
all, may find ourselves yearning once again for convenience, excitement, and
city life, with all its possibilities. Blending new construction into older
neighborhoods takes courage, determination and cooperation on the parts of
builders, city planners, and neighboring residents. In the end, however,
everyone wins. City "streetscapes" may look fresher and more sophisticated, property values can increase, creating more pride of ownership in neighboring burgs, and those of us with the "itch" for city living may find a home after all.