Milford Area Leaders Host Groundbreaking For New Housing Development
Milford Area Leaders Host Groundbreaking For New Housing Development
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Milford Area Leaders Host Groundbreaking For New Housing DevelopmentMILFORD - The community of Milford is growing, and on Monday a groundbreaking ceremony took place at Eastfield, a new housing development along East CR 1250N (Syracuse Street), that will help it continue to grow.
Giving the opening remarks, Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation CEO Alan Tio said the 52 single-family homes development from Miller Brothers Builders was a few years in the making.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see it all come together, and really helped to provide examples, set the pace for the rest of the county, as we continue to work on our focus countywide on housing development. And this helps set the table,” he said.
Explaining how KEDCO got involved in housing, Tio said a few years ago KEDCO’s team was identified to help implement a countywide housing strategy, along with the city of Warsaw, Kosciusko County and the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. They identified a market potential for up to 3,000 new residential units across the county.
“And that’s going to take a lot of people, a lot of communities working together to figure out how to develop housing. But also look at how you develop that housing in proximity to leading employers,” he said. “So very honored today to have with us Mike Kissane from CTB. CTB, of course, our anchor employer in Milford, but this development, of course, in the northern part of the county will help provide a gateway into Kosciusko County. People who find a home here will be able to work and play and live all in a great part of the northern part of our county.”
Dan Brown, president of the Milford Redevelopment Commission, said, “There’s a lot of people that helped this become a reality. From the housing study and KEDCO and our development partners, Miller Brothers; the designers, Innovative Communities; it’s just been a great team.”
He thanked everyone from the attorneys to Milford Clerk-Treasurer Tricia Gall.
“This is a big deal for the town of Milford! Fifty new homes for the town of Milford. There’s a lot of good things going on over here, and I think this is just one of them,” Brown said.
Milford Town Council President Doug Ruch thanked and congratulated everyone involved “in a job well done.” He welcomed Miller Brothers Builders into the community, inviting them to be a part of the family.
“All those involved, we want to just extend a big thank-you from the town of Milford,” Ruch said.
Brown said whether a person was exploring a move to Milford or looking for that next place moving from nearby, “we encourage everybody to take a look. This is going to be a really great subdivision, and Milford is a great place to live.”
Tio thanked Miller Brothers Builders President Brad Plett and his team for hosting everyone at the groundbreaking Monday and providing a lunch.
“It’s been a great journey working with the town on this project, and many other partners. Of course, it requires us to find the right partner at the right time to help make this project a reality, so I can’t say enough about the experience of working with Brad ... and his team, helping us get here, but also helping us lay a foundation to do more of this work throughout the county,” Tio said.
Plett gave thanks to KEDCO, the town of Milford and everyone else who was there Monday and made the development a possibility, including Innovative Communities, Beer & Slabaugh and First State Bank. He said it was a really good experience working with everyone.
“We look forward to get going here. Hopefully, we can get some street in here soon and start building some homes. Fifty-two lots is what we have here - 21 in the first phase. We had to do that many in the first phase because of the lift station being in the back and also the retention area. The first phase is a good size, a pretty big bite to take, but we’re going to run with it and make it happen,” Plett stated.
After the ceremony, Plett said most of the 52 homes are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. As for square footage, they probably will start around 1,250 and go up to 1,600 to 1,800 square feet on two stories. The single-family homes will be around the low $300,000 price range, he estimated.
Plett expected the first homes will be up by late fall or toward the end of the year, depending on weather and how the street-building process works out.
As the last of the five speakers, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rob Parker reiterated all the thanks that were said.
“What a great project here in Milford,” he stated. “... What a great opportunity this is for our county and the city of Milford.”
Tio added one more thing. He said, “We talk about how great this community is and how great Milford is. One of our long-time, one of our longest partners at KEDCO with our economic development efforts is the town of Milford. Think about what’s happening right now, the development around the county. Probably just as much happening in the Milford area as anywhere else in the county, with the 1300 overpass, CTB’s developments, with Bentley Pontoons opening on the south side of town. This development. I’m going to miss a few, but there’s as much happening here as anywhere else in the county, and so thank you to everybody else helping to make this happen and (I) look forward to seeing more.”
For more information, visit Miller Brothers Builders Inc.’s website at millerbrothersbuilders.com.
