1,389-home subdivision at Fort Riley was developed in less than six years
Fort Riley, Kan. (February 26, 2013) – Picerne Military Housing, a division of Corvias Group, a privately-owned, vertically-integrated real estate solutions group, has completed its first master-planned community at Fort Riley, Kan. In less than six years, Picerne designed and built almost 1,400 homes and multiple community amenities in addition to an elementary school in Fort Riley’s new Forsyth Neighborhood.
A master-planned community is defined as a development that is designed for self-sufficiency, providing housing, educational, commercial and recreational amenities that are not typically included in a normal housing subdivision.
“We were able to turn a raw piece of land into its own small town with amenities within walking distance for our residents,” said Brian Beauregard, program director for Picerne Military Housing. “Families should not have to trade comfort and amenities when they choose to live on post. This community provides it all for our military families – the comfort, quality and convenience.”
Through its partnership with the U.S. Army, Picerne began construction of Forsyth in March 2007 as part of its development plan for Fort Riley’s family housing areas. Picerne, a fully-integrated company, managed the entire construction process from land development to construction and now takes care of the management and maintenance of the homes. The Forsyth subdivision is Picerne’s only completed, master-planned community in its portfolio which includes more than 20,000 total homes at seven military installations across the country. A second master-planned community, Linden Oaks, located at Fort Bragg, N.C. will be finished in fall 2013.
Forsyth is a 328-acre on-post community that includes 1,389 three- and four-bedroom homes available for privates to lieutenant colonels. Families can enjoy the convenience of 14 playgrounds or common areas, a 13,000-square-foot neighborhood center, soccer and baseball fields, a pedestrian and bike trail, community garden, bark park and elementary school.
“Each amenity was added to foster a sense of community,” said Beauregard. “We want the families living here to build lasting friendships and camaraderie with their neighbors. Having places for recreation, outdoor gatherings and entertainment helps promote a sense of connection and solidarity which leads to lifelong bonds.”
The Army also built a fire station and child development center inside the Forsyth community, and is currently constructing a chapel. Picerne invested more than $207 million dollars in the construction and development of the neighborhood.
The Forsyth Neighborhood was designed with many environmentally-friendly features. The homes and neighborhood center were built using numerous products made from recycled materials and feature sustainable elements, such as Energy Star®appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency HVAC systems and other energy efficient materials. In addition, the community garden offers the opportunity for residents to grow their own fresh vegetables.
In August, Picerne finalized another monumental construction project with the completion of the LTG Richard J. Seitz Elementary School in the Forsyth Neighborhood to ease overcrowding at schools on the installation. The on-post school is home to 675 kindergarten through fifth grade students who live in the Forsyth Neighborhood. Seitz Elementary is the first school that has been built using the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) legislation that was enacted in 1996. There have been no similar projects to date, making this project one of the most innovative and creative uses of the MHPI legislative authorities by the Army and a private partner.
“The school construction project at Fort Riley was a perfect fit with our business strategy and our mission to put families first,” said Beauregard. “We were happy to provide a much needed solution for the Army and the school district, and we are reminded of the significance of the project each morning as we watch the students walk to school.”
The first homes in the neighborhood were available for occupancy in December 2007 and over the past five years, more than 2,400 families have moved into the community. To date, Picerne has built 1,394 new homes, renovated 1,195 existing homes and constructed four neighborhood centers across Fort Riley. Picerne will continue new home construction, demolition and renovations at Fort Riley through 2016.
About Corvias Group
Corvias is a privately-owned, vertically-integrated real estate solutions group dedicated to building strong communities through partnerships that deliver the highest quality development, construction and management solutions to a range of clients, including the military and higher education. Applying our success as pioneers of real estate development and management as Picerne Military Housing, Corvias delivers customer service that exceeds client expectations and an innovative, holistic approach to facility financing, management and construction. We have the ability to forge partnerships that consistently put the interests of our clients first and the flexibility to pursue creative, sustainable long-term solutions to their most difficult challenges. www.corvias.com
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