After building over a dozen new homes along the northern end of Clark Street, a Powell developer is now laying the groundwork for over 30 more.

Crews are currently moving dirt as they prepare to build the streets for the second phase of the Cottonwood Village Subdivision.

The homes that Chad Harvell and Harvell Construction plan to construct over the coming years will be consistent with the 13 they’ve already built.

“Same style homes, same approach,” said Harvell, who puts an emphasis on craftsmanship, premium finishes and energy efficiency.

The main difference with Cottonwood’s second phase, he said, is the introduction of some lower priced models in the $300,000 and $400,000 price range.

Additionally, Harvell is planning some duplexes on the western and southern sides of the subdivision that will fall in the mid-$300,000. While carrying a smaller price tag, “their finishes and their quality, everything will match what’s in the subdivision,” he said.

Between the various models, buyers will have a broad range of options in the subdivision — with a dozen floor plans ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 square feet and prices starting at $339,000 and going up to $750,000. 

“Our goal never was to, you know, have an elite community, but just to have a community with a mix of different style homes,” Harvell said, adding, “That’s always been the plan from the beginning.”

Cottonwood’s second act

Most of the second phase lots are around 6,500 square feet (or 0.15 acres) and Harvell said he’ll put at least 20 feet between each dwelling to avoid stacking them up.

Potential buyers run the gamut from young families to retirees, he said.

The word from realtors, he added, is that a lot of local properties are selling in the lower price range, with little movement in the upper bounds.

“Like any other business, we have to pay attention to the market,” he said.

Since breaking ground on the subdivision in 2021, Harvell has sold 11 homes. Two completed spec homes — a pair of three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes with 1,386 and 1,462 square feet — are currently listed for $429,000 and $449,000. The other two parcels in the 15-lot first phase remain available.

“We’re getting quite a bit of interest right now, but I think people, considering the way things are right now, are still kind of … hesitant to take the plunge,” Harvell said.

As he enters phase number two, Harvell plans to again build a mixture of spec and custom homes tailored to the buyer.

Though the floor plans differ, there are common characteristics. For example, Harvell Construction fully trims out and paints the interior of his garages, finishes laundry spaces and typically includes a pantry in the kitchen.

“We just do a lot of different things that make the house much more functional,” he said, adding, “We really try to bring a lot more to the table as far as the finished product that you get.”

Harvell also puts an emphasis on energy efficiency — from the furnaces and windows to LED lighting, spray foam and insulated concrete forms (ICFs). He said his methods are 30%-40% more efficient than standard wood frame homes with standard insulation, and earlier this year, his firm was recognized with an ICF Builder Award for its work in Cottonwood.

“Everything that we do is driven by efficiency,” he said. 

Paving the way for development

While the first phase involved extending Clark Street to the north, Harvell Construction is now heading west. Crews are now turning a field into Cullman, Cypress and Dunes drives. They’re set to have the streets fully paved and ready to go by the end of June, “and if I have my way, we will be done much sooner than that,” Harvell said.

The new streets will not connect to any others, effectively serving as dead ends for at least the time being.

The plat for the second phase depicts cul-de-sacs at the northern ends of Clark Street and Dunes Drive, but those are only temporary and the streets can be extended for future development, City Administrator Zack Thorington said at a January council meeting.

“Those are really for just turnaround areas, mostly for garbage trucks, because they’re so big,” Thorington told the council.

Once the infrastructure is in place for phase two, home building can begin. It takes Harvell Construction roughly four to six months to construct a home, he said. The pace of development hinges on the market, but he expects the new 30-lot phase to take three to five years.

Harvell plans to eventually add two more phases on the 15 acres of land that sit just north of the first two phases. Once completed, Cottonwood Village is expected to have more than 100 homes.