New Homes and New Businesses Pour into New Hope
It’s not often that a fully developed inner suburb has the chance to build a subdivision of new homes and bring in new businesses all at the same time. That kind of revitalization is well underway in New Hope.
There’s a city resurgence that’s coming to fruition after years of planning. New housing is creating new options. Take for example Centra Home’s Parkview development near 55th and Winnetka Avenues.
The city sold the 17-acre former Winnetka Learning Center site to Centra, and all 60 new homes have sold at prices above expectations, and the homes have been built a year and a half ahead of schedule.
“Is this city changing? I think it’s changing tremendously, and I’m excited for the way its changing,” said New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken.
Hemken says the Parkview housing development and Alatus’ new 183-unit luxury apartment project called, IronWood, going up along Bass Lake Road near the golf course are creating move-up housing options that’s helping to transform the city.
“Part of the businesses that are coming here, they’re coming because they see a different demographics moving into New Hope. As they build these upscale houses, it brings a different demographic of people and therefore it brings in places like Hy-Vee,” said Hemken.
Over the last decade, the city purchased and sold several building sites in New Hope to developers with the idea that new housing would bring new people in and give existing residents more options to stay. It’s all happening just as a new city center is developing and building a rejuvenated sense of community in New Hope.
“There is a lot of construction activity over the last few years that we’ve really been able to get some momentum going,” said Aaron Chirpich, New Hope Community Development Specialist. “We’ve got goals for different projects throughout the entire city, but to have a nice, vibrant city center is an integral part of our future.”
The Alatus IronWood apartment project is expected to be complete in December. The new $18 million city hall project should be finished in the summer of 2019 and the new pool complete in 2020.
