CommunityLink

Oak Ridge, TN

Homes

FINDING THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS is becoming easier in Oak Ridge. More than 3,000 new homes are on the horizon, boosting the number of homes here by more than
25 percent when completed and offering a range of prices and styles, from condos to custom homes.

The availability of large tracts of land on the southeastern and western edges of Oak Ridge, along with a smaller site in the city center, provided the momentum for the surge in new homes. Rarity Ridge, Willow Place and Centennial Village are among the three newest communities in Oak Ridge, each in different stages of development.

Rarity Ridge

Rarity Ridge, a new development steeped in tradition, welcomed its first residents in early 2005. Its 1,400 acres, set in rolling hills along the Clinch River, encompass custom estate homes on river­front sites; traditional, mid-sized home styles of the 1930s through 1950s; townhomes; and its own Towne Center with retail, commercial and office space.

A traditional neighborhood development, Rarity Ridge features 100 acres of parkland and trails, athletic fields, a harbor and marina, tennis courts, and swimming pools. Its village of 10 model homes, opened in 2004, displays cottage and carriage homes inspired by Craftsman and Queen Anne classics, ranging in size from 1,300 to 2,400 square feet.

“In our jargon, we call it a 21st-­century Mayberry, with our own Towne Center, big sidewalks and alleys behind houses. What is really unique to this community is that we are going back to front-porch living, even though these homes have nice back yards and patios,” says
Fred McArthur, senior vice president of Rarity Communities, which is developing Rarity Ridge.

Young families interested in the security of a classic American town environment, empty nesters and retirees have all expressed interest in Rarity Ridge. McArthur also expects Rarity Ridge to attract nearby Knoxville residents who work in Oak Ridge. As he travels the Northeast and Midwest to recruit newcomers to East Tennessee, he finds
heightened interest in this master-planned community with its range of amenities.

Among newcomers to Oak Ridge and Rarity Ridge will be Jim and Denise Orrico and their two preschool-age children, who surprised friends when they decided to leave their Chicago suburb for a new home in Tennessee.

“We were not even looking to move,” Denise says. Seeking a second home as an investment and a potential retirement home in later years, Jim says a brochure received in the mail led them to research Rarity Communities. “We heard about Rarity Ridge, learned about the concept and thought that this is exactly like a dream come true,” Denise says. “We don’t only want to invest here. We want to live here.”

The traditional community concept drew them both to the area. “It’s like going back in time, when you could hop on a bike and ride to the park,” Jim says. “And the people we met here, they are just very, very friendly, and very, very warm.”

“Even though I work from home and we own our business, I am also a mom,” Denise adds. “I want to be around people that have children, taking walks, letting the kids play sports, the whole community concept.”

Oak Ridge schools played a significant role in helping them make the decision. They have purchased a riverfront lot and plan to move to Rarity Ridge within two years.

At a selection event in 2004, Rarity Ridge sold 47 home sites in one day. McArthur says he expects more than 100 new homes will be sold in 2005. More than 3,000 homes could eventually be located there, he adds.

Willow Place

Willow Place, a smaller, traditional-style neighborhood in the center of Oak Ridge, has transformed a former city service center into a charming, colorful streetscape. Historic pastel colors, Charleston-style homes with porches or balconies, small lots, and sidewalks help create a pedestrian-friendly community where neighbors become friends. Developer Len Hart encourages that community spirit by hosting cookouts each year, spring and fall, for all Willow Place residents.

The first phase of Willow Place has 26 homes. Now at work on Phase 2, Hart, owner of Len Hart Construction Inc.,
says homes have sold faster than he anticipated, meaning the development will be completed two years early, by the summer of 2006. Of the 51 lots in the second phase, 36 have been sold. The average price of homes there is $180,000 to $190,000, with homes ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 in the 16-acre development.

“It’s a catchy type of development,” Hart says. “If you read about urban renewal, traditional neighborhoods are happening everywhere. It’s not anything new. It is a throwback to the past.”

Recently, two city planners from Flagstaff, Ariz., drove by Willow Place while vacationing in the area and stopped to talk to residents. They called Hart later and invited him to come to Flagstaff to discuss his development with city officials, and he accepted. “Part of their conversation was that folks who live in my development truly enjoy living there,” Hart says. “The planners wanted to know how deep and wide the lots were and how they could get house plans to begin a similar development there.”

Centennial Village

Construction will begin in 2005 on 86 townhouses and up to 24 homes in the first section of Centennial Village, a
278-acre development near Edgemoor Road and Centennial Golf Course. When completed, up to 900 homes, townhomes, and condos and luxury apartments could be located on the rolling hills of the site.

Home sites will feature views of the mountains, Melton Hill Lake and Centennial Golf Course, with a large number of sites bordering the golf course, according to John Chilton, developer and chief manager of Centennial Village Development LLC. “When you get to the top of the ridge, the views looking at Solway Bridge and the lake will be gorgeous,” he adds.

With Centennial Village’s proximity to the Pellissippi Parkway, Chilton expects the development to attract those working in Oak Ridge but living in Knoxville who may want to forgo the daily commute. He says he’s already seen interest from Oak Ridgers interested in moving to the new development, as well as from individuals living and working in Knoxville.

New residents will choose from nine neighborhoods with a variety of housing styles and price ranges. Bay Meadow Commons, the first section to be developed; Cherokee Bluffs; Fairways Edge; Lands End; and Highlands are among the neighborhoods that will be featured in Centennial Village.

Other Choices

If Centennial Village, Rarity Ridge or Willow Place do not offer what new residents are searching for in their dream home, there are a variety of other options. Jackson Crossing, Rivers Run, Park Meade, Palisades and Westwood offer newer homes and residential lots. In all, there are hundreds of lots in Oak Ridge available now and becoming available for residential development.

In addition, there are many 1940s-era cottage-style homes available throughout the center of Oak Ridge. They feature efficient and unique floor plans and boast hardwood floors. Many of these homes are within walking distance of the center city. An organized effort to renovate the homes in recent years has resulted in revitalized neighborhoods of these historic homes.