photo by Emily Hawkins

Far left, Colleen Hollinger-Petters of Collegeville Cos. holds development plans for stage 2 of the Village at CSB.

contributed photo
Left, one of the house plans for the Village at CSB. The development will feature attractive cottage-style twin homes.

St. Joseph may have a new retirement community comprised of cottage-style twin homes this spring as long as two more buyers commit to the project.

The community, known as the "Village at CSB," is a retirement community with strong ties to the College of St. Benedict. Association fees for the homes would include basic lawn care and snow removal as well as access to CSB and the many amenities there. Access to the college would include classes, the library, fitness center, music and performing arts, the pool and the dining center.

“This is oriented for older adults who are interested in what this community offers, which is a connection with the college,” said Colleen Hollinger-Petters of Collegeville Communities. “That is really what differentiates this housing community from other retirement communities.”

Buyers have a choice of five different floor plans ranging from 1,100 to 1,600 square feet. The homes do not have basements, but will have a safe room – bathrooms with reinforced walls – in case of severe weather or other emergencies.

The project has been in the works by Collegeville Cos. for more than 10 years. It stalled in 2008 when the economy took a nose dive and the housing market tanked.

“At that time it was too risky for our company as well as the city to go through with the project,” Hollinger-Petters said. “The people who committed to the project suddenly pulled back because they didn’t want to sell their current homes for a loss. At the time we felt there wasn’t enough assuredness for us to move forward.”

Collegeville Cos. saw successful results with similar college-linked retirement communities in Winona and Northfield. Both of those projects were eventually sold off to the residents and other investors.

Former CSB president Colman O’Connell is a strong supporter of the Village at CSB.

“I’ve stayed at the community Jon (Petters) built in Winona several times and it is a lovely place to be,” she said. “I think having a similar community here is a great idea and I thought it was (a good idea) 15 years ago.

I was disappointed it hasn’t happened sooner.”

Hollinger-Petters said building will take place in three phases, the first phase starting once five buyers are committed to the project.

“Even though the housing recovery has been slow, people who have been interested are anxious to move out of their huge houses into a place that is single-level living and to take advantage of the connection to downtown St. Joseph and the college,” she said. “There is access to so much from this location.”

The community will be located north of the former Kennedy School. The land is currently owned by CSB but would be sold to Collegeville Cos. for the project. The sale of the land would bring in property taxes to the city, as there is none on the property now because CSB is a nonprofit organization.

“The location is perfect because it gives access to the college and the downtown shops,” O’Connell said. “It would create a new group of people who would want services in town. It would create a need for a wide range of shops.”

The project currently has three buyers who have committed to purchasing a home. After two more buyers have committed, the next step in the project is submitting a planned unit development to the city council. When that is approved, ground-breaking can begin.

“The city has been very supportive and encouraging of the project,” Hollinger-Petters said.

For those who are interested in investing in the community, there is an option for investors to purchase homes and rent them out to residents.

“This is an attractive option for people who are wary of purchasing another home,” Hollinger-Petters said.

A commitment to the project would include a letter of agreement and about $5,000 down. A buyer would then have the option to select a home plan.

If you are interested in the Village at CSB and want more information, you can call Collegeville Cos. at 363-7656.