BROOKINGS New residents are coming to Brookings in droves, and Herculean efforts are being taken to provide housing options for them, including the massive new Branch Creek project.
The development, which is on the southern side of 20th Street South just east of the Fishback Soccer Complex, will have 130 housing units, a bit of retail space and many other amenities including a pond, a community garden and connections to the citys trail system when its completed in 2028.
I think we kind of had the feeling for a number of years that there just isnt enough housing in Brookings like I think people strongly had the sense of theres just a shortage, Ann Rivlin told the Brookings Register in an interview.
Rivlin, along with Tom Fishback of First Bank & Trust, are co-managers of Branch Creek. While the two had a gut feeling there were issues, that feeling was just that until a city-led study pinned down actual numbers regarding the housing problem in Brookings.
(It) really crystallized the urgency of the housing situation. They provided analysis that said, This is how many homes were short right now, and this is how that number is going to increase in the future, Rivlin said. It was great to see numbers put to that sense that people had had about Brookings, that there simply wasnt enough housing.
She said another benefit of the study was that its findings were combined with input from community members regarding the types of homes and neighborhoods the city needs.
The housing study came out, really, in the early stage of working on Branch Creek, where we said, Hey, we think we can do something to help with the housing situation, and then the housing study comes in and were able to look at the recommendations and say, Hey, were going to try and design a neighborhood that meets those needs.
That neighborhood is now taking shape, with the first phase of work which is expected to involve 23 units consisting of a mix of single-family, twinhomes and townhomes underway next to the soccer complex. Streets, utilities and the pond are also among tasks being handled in this initial phase. The work is being done by Clark Drew Construction of Brookings.
The remaining phases of the work include:
- Phase 2: This will begin next year, with up to 29 homes being built.
- Phase 3: This kicks off in 2026, with another 29 homes expected to be built.
- Phase 4: Twenty-two homes are planned in this phase, which starts in 2027.
- Phase 5: This final phase is expected in 2028, with up to 26 homes.
Its a unique thing for us to have roughly 20 acres and putting 130 units on there, Fishback pointed out. Thats something that were taking very seriously in terms of making sure everyone can live and be able to do their own things, but yet also feel like theres a sense of community beyond just their housing unit.
Home costs
So, yeah, this project is a big deal for Brookings. The price points are another aspect of Branch Creek that folks might like.
Rivlin said single-family units will start at $294,900 and top out at $374,900. Townhomes begin at $226,900, with the most expensive three-bedroom townhome clocking in at $254,900. She added that theyre also trying out a four-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot townhome in the first phase thats being sold for $299,900.
To be honest, this is a test. We dont think there are that many four-bedroom options with that much square footage for under $300,000 in Brookings, Rivlin said. And so were trying that townhome model to see if theres demand for it and if there is, we can build more of them in later phases.
Twinhomes range from $279,900 up to $339,900.
Theres kind of a nice range within all three types, Rivlin said, noting that the ranges go beyond pricing to include different layouts and residence sizes, with ID8 Architecture of Brookings doing the design work. We really feel like weve got something for everyone in Branch Creek.
She pointed out a couple of other things as well, including that the homes will have to be owner-occupied in other words, no rentals will be permitted.
The person who owns the home, lives in it, Rivlin said. We think thats really going to help the neighborhood appeal, and we think its something that people in Brookings are looking for.
She continued, Theres a big part of the Brookings population that wants to be homeowners. Theyre not currently able to do it yet. And so we are happy to provide more options.
Rivlin noted the development will also have a homeowners association, which will handle things like snow removal, lawn maintenance and irrigation.
These are going to be low-maintenance homes, she said, saying that finding came directly from the housing study. Theres a big demand for low-maintenance homeownership in Brookings.
Financial help
A big part of the reason for the prices being on the lower end of the scale involves the financial aid Branch Creek is receiving from the city and the state of South Dakota:
- A tax increment financing district passed by the Brookings City Council on March 12 allows for reimbursement of up to $7.3 million in eligible project costs things such as streets, drainage facilities, site grading, sanitary sewer and so on according to city documents. Such districts are utilized by local governments to help attract private development and investment.
- Roughly $1.7 million in grant support was provided by South Dakota Housing. Those funds will be used for infrastructure-related costs such as sewer, water and curb.
Our whole thing with using some of these proceeds was to really try to make sure these homes are affordable at the end of the day, Fishback said. It was something that we could apply directly to the project to help people be able to fit into these homes.
As we all know, though, even the best-laid plans can go awry and thats exactly what happened when interest rates increased. They were at all-time lows for conventional home loans leading up to the Branch Creek project, but once it got underway, not only did the rates go up, but so did inflation and the price of materials. That led to a lot of cost uncertainty.
I dont think we could build 130 homes if we didnt have the support that the city has provided and that the state of South Dakota has provided, Rivlin said. The project would just be too large to do without that help.
Traffic, water concerns
Naturally, a project like Branch Creek can also cause a degree of traffic and drainage worries among the developments neighbors and perhaps even a bit of apprehension with potential homebuyers. Fishback and Rivlin, however, are on top of it.
Those are concerns that we take very seriously in terms of were very interested in what the neighborhood has to say, Fishback said. Were very interested in making sure that this doesnt contribute to any future problems.
He pointed to a wetlands study that was completed, with the help of the city, to ensure that the project wouldnt make any problems any worse. That was very important.
He added that Branch Creek is working closely with its engineer at Banner Associates, along with the citys engineer and other city staffers to ensure everything is up to code and that were doing everything in our power to prevent water issues from happening in the future.
Mother Nature is Mother Nature we cant predict whats going to happen, Fishback finished. We hope weve done and I think weve done everything in our power to make sure that this isnt an issue.
In regard to traffic, Rivlin noted that a study was conducted early in the process, and that it included a scenario with more homes than what Branch Creek will have along with a business with a drive-through that wont actually be built in order to see what would happen if they came to the heaviest traffic situation they could think of.
Were really confident that theres not going to be a significant traffic impact due to building Branch Creek, Rivlin said. The way that weve designed it, it should work out well that we will not see significant impacts.
Block party
Fishback and Rivlin are also looking forward to the developments block part, which is set for Sept. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the projects site on 20th Street South near the soccer complex.
Its going to be a nice opportunity to get out on the site and to learn more about the neighborhood, Rivlin said. To learn more about the homes that are going to be built in the first phase, to learn about future plans for the next few years and to just kind of get a sense of what the neighborhood is going to be like and to get more information about it.
Looking ahead
While the Branch Creek development is expected to have a commercial component at some point on its north end there are three lots set aside for such, according to documents Fishback or Rivlin both stressed the importance of housing being the developments priority.
Were completely focused on the homes. We think thats where the need is in Brookings, so our absolute top five priorities are building homes, Rivlin said. Well figure out the commercial stuff after weve got a really good start on the homes, and also after weve had a little more time to see how that 20th Street South corridor develops.
Wed like to really be thoughtful about what goes into those commercial spaces and whats going to benefit that corridor, she added.
Once everything is set and done, though, what do Fishback and Rivlin hope to have achieved?
One, we hope that people are living in these homes and theyre happy, Fishback said. Theyre designed to create a sense of community, to create a sense of neighborhood so we hope that vision is fulfilled.
Rivlin agreed.
I hope that Branch Creek when were looking five years out from now and the homes are built and people are living there I hope that it kind of looks like Brookings, she said. We have a lot of really wonderful people in Brookings, whether they are recent SDSU grads, whether they are people starting a family, whether they are empty-nesters. I just think the population of Brookings is remarkable because there are so many lovely people at so many different phases of life.
She continued, Our goal for Branch Creek is providing kind of a place for everybody, whether you are just starting out or whether youre saying, Hey, I need to downsize my home because Im an empty-nester now we think weve got a home that will work for you in Branch Creek.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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