CAMAS — A single house, only partially framed, was cause for celebration Thursday at the new Deerhaven subdivision, one of the first new housing projects on the budding north shore area of Lacamas Lake.
Builders, developers, property owners and local government and business leaders gathered outside the unfinished home to celebrate with a traditional gold-shovel groundbreaking. Soil was tossed downhill toward a row of photographers. With the ceremonies now complete, Camas-based StoneRidge Homes can return to work on building out the 27-home subdivision with what it calls Northwest Modern homes starting at $550,000. StoneRidge expects to have the first of its new homes ready for sale in August. The listing agent for the homes is Jeff Wunder of Re/Max Equity Group.
In terms of size, the 27 lot community near Southeast Leadbetter Road and Northeast Everett Street is hardly a record-breaker. But it is just the opening curtain on a much larger development of the north shore area, which contains hundreds of acres of undeveloped land that was annexed into the city in the last decade. Already, plans are in the works for a much larger subdivision of about 486 homes in the area. And much of the property that was annexed into the city will be converted over time to commercial and industrial use that will meet the needs of a population that the city expects will grow to more than 34,000, from today’s 22,000, in the next two decades.
Kelly Love, president of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, said the real estate market is enjoying a strong post-recession boom locally. “Home construction is the new ‘it’ in Clark County,” she said.
