Developer Tonya Detweiler wants to transform the south side of Goshen.
Detweiler is partnering with the city to add more than 1,400 housing units on 170 acres of land off of Waterford Mills Parkway near Prairie View Elementary School.
The development is being called Cherry Creek and it will feature a variety of single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums that will eventually be constructed over the next 10 to 15 years. The finished community will also include some commercial space and other amenities like pickleball courts, pools and trails. Most of the homes will be in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, Detweiler said.
In total, Cherry Creek plans to invest $125 million into the site, per city documents.
“Yes we know it’s a lot and we know that it’s a big project. We believe that Goshen growing on the south side — the time is absolutely right for that to happen,” Detweiler said.
Housing scarcity has been an issue for Goshen in recent years. A study commissioned by the city in 2022 found Goshen would need to build 4,500 units by 2030 to keep up with demand. The 1,400 units proposed at Cherry Creek would help.
Construction is being planned in two phases with about 940 units expected to be completed in the first phase. Detweiler’s other company Blue Diamond Communities will manage the neighborhood once the units begin to come online.
The next step for the project is approval for a development agreement with Detweiler, which is on the city council’s agenda for Monday.
Per the agreement, the city has created a TIF district and will issue bonds to pay for public infrastructure in and around the site. One hundred percent of tax revenue generated from the development will go towards repaying the bonds.
If the council signs off on the development agreement, Detweiler said she’s hoping to break ground in the fall, though most of the infrastructure would come online in 2024.
“We will be building as fast as the homes sell. We will start the first condo building next spring,” Detweiller said.
Some residents, including redevelopment commission member Breanne Brenneman, have noted the higher-than-average price point for the homes, while others have asked questions about traffic.
As part of the development, the city will move forward with improvements to County Road 40 and Dierdorff Road.
The housing development will also connect to Prairie View Elementary school with children being able to ride their bike or walk to class without having to enter the roadway, Detweiler said. Though the Goshen school district doesn’t formally have a say in the project, district officials have expressed support for the measure.
