Location: Eastern shore, LeMay Lake, Mendota Heights
Type: Twin homes
Units: 60
Developer: Ryland Homes
Details: A long-planned neighborhood of townhouses along Mendota Heights' LeMay Lake, first approved in 2007, will finally be getting started under a new developer, who received city approvals this month.
The original developer, Hoffman Homes, completed the nearby Augusta Shores townhouses in 2001 on surplus land purchased from Catholic Cemeteries, and shortly thereafter began planning for LeMay Shores, just south of the first neighborhood along eastern shore of LeMay Lake.
The builder negotiated a development agreement for LeMay Shores in 2007, but the effort was put on the shelf with the coming of the housing market collapse. In the intervening years, developer Patrick Hoffman received several extensions from the city while awaiting a market recovery.
This year the development was transferred to Ryland Homes, which is planning to finally launch construction shortly after Labor Day following the purchasing the land from Catholic Cemeteries. Ian Peterson, Ryland vice president of land, told the city the company hopes to have a model ready in time for the spring Parade of Homes in March.
Ryland altered Hoffman's original designs into twin homes, featuring side-loaded garage stalls that allow more street frontage for the units. The Mendota Heights City Council approved the changes to the LeMay Shores planned development at its Aug. 19 meeting.
Don Jacobson is a St. Paul-based freelance writer. He can be contacted at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.