Despite public interest in the townhomes, Simms said a model unit might not be available until 2020 due to a labor shortage stemming from the Memorial Day tornadoes.
“Everybody wants to know what the building is going to look like, inside and out,” Simms said. “Our model home probably won’t be open for another six to eight months.”
MORE: Site work starts on $8M townhome development in downtown Springfield
Simms provided an update, as well as took questions on the project at the Springfield Rotary meeting on Monday.
The townhomes will be located at the corner of Center and West Columbia streets, will be about 1,300 square feet and will cost around $200,000. However Simms says that number isn’t set in stone.
“We would love to start around $200,000, but we are going to see,” Simms said. “Costs are going up daily.”
While pricing is not yet final, one thing is set - future homeowners will have a 15-year property tax exemption as the project is a partnership between The Turner Foundation, SpringForward and the City of Springfield.
“These buyers that buy will be paying on the land only for the first 15 years they own their home,” Simms said. “So there taxes to live in this town will be around $500 a year.”
According to information on Simms Development’s website, each townhome will be three stories.
“(The floor plan) will feature an attached garage and first floor foyer, bonus room rear load garage and front door entry. The popular open truss ceiling will be a standard feature throughout the entire second flood, a powder room and large dine-in kitchen island, large kitchen pantry, dining room, and living room all within steps that make for an entertaining living level,” the site says.
Simms said he’d ideally like to have 15 of the townhomes completed in 2020 and the remaining units constructed by 2021 however construction is dependent on weather.
MORE: Springfield parking garage approved, construction to begin in July
Charles Simms Development has constructed 118 units in downtown Dayton over the last five years, and Springfield’s development will be similar to those with slight modifications.
Simms himself has built over 2,000 homes, condominiums and apartments in the Dayton and Cincinnati area, according to Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck.
Heck said previously the City of Springfield had put up money for preliminary work to be done to the townhomes site, trucking away years of old bricks and foundations from past buildings.
“This specific project to do all of the site work is about $340,000,” Heck said.
Heck said 2019 will be a momentous year for the downtown Springfield area.
In July, the city will break ground on a new downtown parking garage, after approving the plan last week. The project has been discussed for several years as a way to provide additional parking downtown as the city works to attract more retail and business to the city center.
The three-story garage will have 305 parking spaces and will sit on the corner of Fountain Avenue and Columbia Street.
23: People on a wait-list for more information on townhomes
$8M: Cost to construct downtown townhome development
$340,000: Money the City of Springfield has put up for preliminary site work
$200,000: Roughly the average price of each townhome
34: Number of townhomes to be constructed
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