Real Estate Central

Alpine Village Signals a New Era in Downtown McCall Land Development

MCCALL, Idaho, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — McCall, Idaho is
experiencing a coming of age. As people migrate to live and play at this
year round resort on the shores of scenic Payette Lake, city planners and
real estate developers are plotting the town’s growth. One project now
underway, Alpine Village, is a mixed-use residential and commercial
development that is setting a new standard for convenient downtown luxury
living, community design and smart growth.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080520/LATU536)

Common history tells us that mountain towns in the West don’t rise up
near idyllic lakeshores overnight. A sudden arrival of miners and loggers
often lays the foundation for sporadic expansion without a master plan in
mind. Generations come and go while these towns evolve to attract people
for their beauty and recreational merits rather than their natural
resources.

In 1997, recognizing that the increasing popularity of McCall and the
surrounding Valley County region as a year-round destination resort could
threaten its rustic appeal, city planners set into motion a master plan.
According to its goal statement, this plan will result in “a central
business district which is pedestrian oriented, physically attractive, safe
and easy to navigate, whether on foot or in a vehicle, and which retains a
mix of goods and services which serves the resident and tourist
populations.”

The early 2000s saw the arrival of regional and out of state investors
and developers, and it led to an old fashioned Wild West building boom.
Numerous high-end communities, many intended as second homes, have sprung
up in pristine mountain valleys and on former riverfront farmland outside
of town. Today there are six golf courses, numerous rental and timeshare
lodging options and two large ski areas a short drive from town. 55% of
homes in Valley County are owned by part time residents.

Downtown has seen less attention from developers, though. A walkable
commercial center near the lake has emerged, but Alpine Village, which
broke ground in the fall of 2007, is being recognized as the project that
will transform how the downtown corridor evolves.

The four-building development consists of over 100 one- to four-bedroom
luxury condominiums and nearly 36,000 square feet of commercial space for
restaurants, retail shops and offices — all anchored by an open,
event-friendly pedestrian plaza. All residences will have mountain, lake or
plaza views and feature residential ownership amenities such as underground
parking, an indoor/outdoor pool, a gym and separate storage units. The
entire project was aesthetically designed with the existing rustic appeal
of the town in mind.

Alpine Village is strategically located on Third Street/Hwy 55, the
southern corridor and main artery through town. The five acre site is three
blocks south of Payette Lake and within walking and biking distance to most
downtown shops and attractions.

Projects like this have been the norm in resort towns and large cities
before, but never in McCall. It incorporates sustainable building
principals — first and foremost as concentrated infill. Making the most
out of the five acres, while remaining consistent with the McCall
Comprehensive Plan and the Planning and Zoning code, was paramount to the
design team.

“With Alpine Village, we utilized key aspects of ’smart growth’ design
to make an attractive, pedestrian-friendly community that will be an asset
to the city of McCall,” says Michael Hormaechea, lead partner of the Alpine
Village Development Company.

Smart growth is a way to prevent urban sprawl by creating walkable and
easily accessible places with a range of housing choices and mix of uses
that, in the end, help foster a sense of community.

There are distinct social and economic advantages to mixed-use
developments. Businesses benefit from a built in customer base while
residents can save a trip in the car by walking to shops and restaurants
right in the Village. A larger, more diverse population brings a vitality
which promotes personal interactions and a sense of safety. Public
transportation improvements, such as adding new bus lines, become more
viable as well. From a land use standpoint, infill construction has a
minimum impact on existing infrastructure such as sewer lines and roads.

Types of businesses expected to move into Alpine Village include gift
shops, restaurants, a spa, clothing boutiques, a high-end grocery store,
and art galleries, among others. This new commercial space will increase
the town’s tax base, create jobs and improve the chances for further
economic growth.

According to McCall Planning Manager Michelle Groenevelt, the
revitalization of this land will help boost the local economy: “I think the
project will help connect the downtown area with other commercial
developments on the south corridor and create new synergy for commercial
development.”

Home buyers are recognizing the unique opportunity to live at Alpine
Village. A reservation program is underway that gives interested buyers the
right to choose among the first condominiums in Phase One. The number of
reservations already submitted has vastly exceeded the developer’s
expectations at this early stage.

Design and construction is being led by Alpine Village Company, a
locally-owned enterprise of the Hormaechea family. Their previous
residential and commercial developments include Forest River Park in Boise
and Brookwood in Eagle, and The Cottages at Spring Mountain Ranch in
McCall. Contributing to architectural planning is McCall-based Epikos Land
Planning + Architecture and CTA Architects Engineers.

The Hormaecheas are Idaho natives and long time residents of both Boise
and McCall. Ensuring that the design and amenities of Alpine Village be
right for the town was especially important to them. “We understand
first-hand the special beauty and great quality of life the area offers.
Creating a development that enhances the built environment was a major
goal,” Michael Hormaechea explained.

An information center is open daily at the construction site.
Representatives are on hand to answer questions and to walk visitors
through the design center that features a model kitchen and a detailed 3-D
scale model of the entire development. For more information, go to
http://www.alpinevillagemccall.com.



Contact:
Cory Corbet, Sales Manager
(888) 634.3430
cory@alpinevillagemccall.com

Dave Jansik, PR Specialist
(208) 388.0766 ext. 21
davej@stoltzgroup.com


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Source: Real Estate Newswire