By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of the year on homes in the Grove addition.
The addition will include 50 single-family homes, 50 villas and four duplexes.
Construction crews, which are ahead of schedule, are very close to completing the streets, sewer, water curbs and gutters. That work is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, followed by the electrical installation.
Construction on houses should start in September or October.
The Bob and Pat Schmidt Community Center is expected to be completed by late July. The center will be the new home for the Hays Senior Center, a new child care center operated by Bright Minds Academy and multi-use community rooms.
A ribbon cutting for that facility is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 29.
Grow Hays is still a little short of budget for the community center. Anyone interesting in donating to that project can contact Grow Hays at 785-628-3102.
Mayor Sandy Jacobs said the community center will be an amazing facility. She said she expects many more seniors to participate in the senior center when it moves into its new facility.
"Besides that, when you walk into that big open space with the glass in the back, it is really a special place," she said, "and I can't imagine if I lived in the Grove that I wouldn't want to rent those units for family gatherings."
The other housing addition Grow Hays has been heavily involved with, the Tallgrass Addition, has been highly successful, Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director, said.
Since developers began building there in 2022, all the homes have sold before they were completed, with a waiting list still in place.
That demand, combined with a 2019 study showing seniors were a significant economic driver and recruitment opportunity for the community, prompted Grow Hays to embark on the Grove project.
Although the addition is geared toward seniors, it will have no age restrictions, Williams said.
The addition is conveniently located next to HaysMed as well as the Center for Health Improvement.
In addition, the Grove will feature a multi-use path that will eventually connect existing paths running from the Hays Recreation Center, behind HaysMed, to the Sternberg Museum and on to Hall Street, and ultimately 41st Street in northwest Hays.
When both the Grove trail and a section being built by the city connect, there will be six miles of continuous trail.
Some of the features of the homes will include
• Slab on grade construction
• 3-foot doorways
• Open floor plans
• 9-foot ceilings
• Granite, quartz or onyx counter tops
• Solid core doors
• High efficiency HVAC
• Optional storm shelters
A homeowners association will be responsible for all exterior maintenance.
This includes
• Insurance for exteriors and exterior repairs on all of the homes, including roofs and siding
• Lawn maintenance
• Snow removal
Homeowners association fees have yet to be calculated. The Grove is being built within a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District, so homeowners will not be required to pay special assessments.
Homeowners will be responsible for insuring the interior and their contents.
"You do subject yourself to certain rules and regulations," Williams said. "You're not going to park your boat in front of your unit. You're not going to park your camper in front of your unit. There are some limitations. That is just the way it is.
"Unfortunately, if you can't live with that, it's probably not a good place for you to be."
Pets will be allowed, although the homeowners association may have restrictions on the types and sizes of pets.
The homeowners association will likely restrict short-term rentals and Airbnbs. Although there may be some allowances for long-term rentals, Williams said he doubted investors would purchase these homes at these prices as rental properties.
The original plan was to build multi-family units on the corner of 27th and Canterbury streets, but developers seemed less interested in this concept, Williams said.
Grow Hays pivoted and decided to build the Villas.
These will be two-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-car-garage patio homes.
The homes' entrances will face each other in a courtyard configuration, with the garages in the rear of the homes off of a paved alley.
Williams said the housing addition will be dense, but private. The patios will be on opposite sides of each other. There will also be provisions for privacy or pet fencing if desired.
The Villas will be offered at a lower price point, with smaller square footage — specifically 1,000 square feet — compared to the 1,500 square feet in the homes in the Grove proper.
The villas will feature similar interior amenities to those of the other homes in the Grove. The garages will be slightly oversized to accommodate more storage. The patio homes can also be equipped with storm shelters.
Work on the Villas is further behind the Grove proper because Grow Hays was waiting to take control of the last existing home on the parcel. It will be either sold and moved or demolished, Williams said.
The larger homes in the Grove will cost about $390,000 or more, depending on floor plan and interior finishes. The Villas will cost about $295,000 or more.
Williams said although the cost of buying a new home is greater than that of an older home, it may result in your homeowner's insurance, property taxes and utility expenses decreasing.
Williams said Grow Hays has received interest from about 50 potential homeowners, but he does not think all of those individuals will ultimately purchase homes.
The build is going to start with at least five homes, he said.
If you are interested in learning more about buying a home in the Grove, you can contact Grow Hays at 785-628-3102.