AV Homes is reworking its plan for a new Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) just north of the Poinciana SunRail station.
Division President Ken Thirtyacre told GrowthSpotter the homebuilder has eliminated up to 400 apartment units that were entitled in the original 82-acre Planned Development (PD) in favor of lower density, primarily composed of single-family homes and townhomes.
The Arizona-based developer has filed a Preliminary Subdivision Plan (PSP) and Site Development Plan (SDP) reflecting the new composition of 116 townhomes and 211 single-family homes.
“We changed it significantly to make it more of a lifestyle community,” Thirtyacre said. “We’re trying to bring a fresh perspective, knowing it’s going to be centered around TOD. We want to make it have more of an urban feel.”
AV Homes also hired Stephen Yerrakadu, formerly of Toll Brothers, as its new director of architecture.
“We brought in (Yerrakadu) to create new, fresh product with more of an urban feel — to help change our lineups and be more creative in the marketplace in general,” Thirtyacre said. “My goal here is be sure we stay forward-looking and make sure we have what the current market needs.”
Dubbed “Solstice,” the project would keep a 1.9-acre commercial site at the main entrance on Poinciana Boulevard that is entitled for up to 20,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial uses. The townhomes would comprise the western third of the site and would have their own pool and cabana.
Thirtyacre said the new product line is being designed and priced to appeal to millennials who want to utilize SunRail to access jobs and entertainment. But they’re also including features that could appeal to baby boomers, such as first-floor master suites.
“We’re introducing more contemporary architecture,” Thirtyacre said. “People all over the country are looking for something different. You can build a new Mediterranean home today and it looks just like a 20-year-old Mediterranean home.”
The rest of the community is designed around two new lakes and a large amenity center in between. The lot sizes would include a mix of 40-foot and 50-foot lots.
The new site plan also utilizes the narrow strip that extends south to the SunRail site for a stormwater pond. It keeps a bike and pedestrian trail that connects to the station, which is expected to open in July 2018.
“You will be able to walk to the station,” Thirtyacre said.
AV expects to break ground in February and begin vertical construction in early August, he added.
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