Luxe Neighborhoods

For many years, the gold standard of luxury living in the Twin Cities was the exclusive gated community of Bearpath Golf and Country Club in Eden Prairie with its Jack Nicklaus–designed golf course and multimillion-dollar homes.

But now, a new breed of high-end developments is making a mark on the upper-bracket real estate market. Like Bearpath, these neighborhoods offer exclusivity along with their large, pricey, and highly customized homes. But whereas golf is the anchor of Bearpath, the newer neighborhoods are without gates and rely on their location, surroundings, and architecture to distinguish them.

Two factors draw homeowners to exclusive developments, says Eden Prairie realtor Brace Helgeson. “One is that you’re able to build [a home that reflects] what’s happening in today’s market, with all the new woods, the new finishings, sinks, appliances, and windows,” he says. “And you are guaranteeing that you are within a neighborhood with demographics similar to where you are in your life. Birds of a feather flock together because they’re supporting each other’s values.”

On the following pages, we take a look at the latest luxury developments bringing together like-minded homeowners.

As its name suggests, the Executive Woodlands development that is currently under construction in Plymouth is targeting professionals. The community is minutes away from General Mills and Cargill headquarters, with easy access to downtown Minneapolis, private schools, the well-regarded Wayzata public schools, shopping, parks, and the Luce Line Trail.

It will be a relatively small development, with only twelve homes on 6.5 acres. “We wanted the neighborhood to have the feeling that it had been established for awhile, similar to driving through Kenwood in Minneapolis,” says Rick Hendel, president of Hendel Homes, one of the companies building in the development.

In keeping with that goal, Hendel’s first home in the neighborhood, a 6,850-square-foot manse priced at $1.7 million, is built in a French provincial style with classical details such as limestone trim, functioning shutters, garage doors that appear to swing in, and copper finials. Woodwork plays an important role. Floors are covered in six-inch walnut planks with burned edges and the library/study has wood inlays in the ceiling beams.

A formal great room showcases a cast limestone fireplace, two custom-built burl-wood armoires, and reclaimed ceiling beams. The kitchen blends old and new, with white cabinets, white marble, two islands (one butcher-block, the other honed granite), and old-fashioned cabinet knobs that latch closed. The fireplace in the attached hearth room is painted black to mimic a fourteenth-century stone fireplace, and the powder room has reclaimed terra cotta tiles from a French barn.

A fairy-tale theme, complete with murals, defines the playroom above the garage; two additional bedrooms and a laundry room are also located on this level. In the lower level, Hendel created a 1920s-style theater with silk panels, navy blue walls, gold curtains, and two levels of seating.

“We’re trying a classical design,” Hendel says, “something that is typical of a neighborhood where everybody wants to be.”

The northwest suburbs continue to be a hotbed of development, but the builders and developers responsible for the Dunlavin Woods community under construction in Maple Grove have ensured that this former winding, wooded farmland remains as untouched as possible.

“The development is very secluded,” says Bob Moore, a realtor who sells homes in Dunlavin Woods for Creek Hill Custom Homes of Maple Grove. “There are wetlands, woods, and a creek. Only one side backs into an existing development, and a string of woods separates the two.”

The forty-two homes represent a variety of architectural styles. Creek Hill Custom Homes’ model home is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom Craftsman-style rambler with an Italian-style kitchen featuring a granite-topped island, antiqued woodwork, and walk-in pantry. The south-facing sunroom offers beautiful wooded views, and the walkout lower level has a home theater with raised seating, three bedrooms, wraparound wet bar, separate family room, and in-floor heat. The finished four-car garage features insulation and floor drains.

Mary Kohlhepp, new construction realtor with Andreen Construction, which had twelve lots in the community as of February, is excited by the development’s proximity to the expanding Arbor Lakes shopping center, employers like Boston Scientific and Medtronic, and the new hospital coming to Maple Grove. She’s also impressed with its secluded locale.

“It is so close to the metro, yet when you get into the development, it’s wooded and has meandering streets,” Kohlhepp says. “It’s situated on Rush Creek, a flyway for some birds. A bridge goes across the creek and will eventually connect to the Three Rivers Park trail corridor. It’s a nice addition to area. You don’t find many developments with trees in Maple Grove.”

Desirable land is hard to find in the Twin Cities. So when the development partners behind the Locust Hills neighborhood in Wayzata purchased a seventy-acre former estate on Gray’s Bay, they knew they had to get creative. Their vision is a European-style community of forty-four association-maintained villas that they hope will break ground this summer. “It was a much more thoughtful way of developing the property with a conservation approach—higher-density, smaller lots that are grouped closer together in an effort to preserve as much open space as possible,” explains Jeremy Pflaum of Locust Hills Development.

The master plan calls for smart development throughout the entire property, which was originally owned by the Sweatts, the founding family of Honeywell. Restoration of native plants will enhance the existing mature trees and wetlands and complement the nearly two miles of walking trails. Additionally, the property’s original brick, Norman-style horse stable will be converted into a private club for residents that includes a pool, changing area, and kitchen. A separate room will house historic photographs of the estate and of the Sweatt family.

The developers are also restricting the size of the homes; main-living areas cannot exceed 2,600 square feet of livable space, and upper levels need to be half that size. “The restrictions we’re putting on the lots provides peace of mind for the people who live there because they don’t have to worry about someone building something that doesn’t fit into the architectural theme,” Pflaum says.

The development’s lure, in part, comes from its location. Downtown Wayzata is within walking distance, I-394 and I-494 are about a mile away, and more than 7,000 feet of Lake Minnetonka linear shoreline surround the property. Although the villas will not be located directly on Gray’s Bay, the  homeowner’s association has licenses for forty-four boat slips that residents will be able to use.

Locust Hills is designed to appeal to Baby Boomers and empty nesters who have lived on or near Lake Minnetonka for years but who want to downsize from larger homes without giving up the amenities to which they’ve grown accustomed. “We’ve had quite a few clients who don’t think there’s enough [in this area] for the empty nester who wants a high-quality home, but not a large home or yard. This fits the bill perfectly,” says Jennifer Cramer-Miller, vice president of Edina-based homebuilder L. Cramer.

That the development will be association-maintained is also appealing. “Almost all our clients have another home in a warmer climate,” Cramer-Miller says. “When people leave in the winter, they’ll know that things will be taken care of.”

L. Cramer’s model home will feature a detailed exterior of shingles and stone and an open floor plan that maximizes the main floor’s 2,600 square feet. Retreat areas, rounded stairwell walls, small nooks, and an owners’ suite define the main level; tucked under the roofline, the upper level will house secondary bedrooms. The lower level will be used for a home office, additional bedrooms, or entertaining.

“It will have a cozy appearance from the street,” explains Cramer-Miller, “like a bed-and-breakfast.”

Troy Development Corporation is aiming to achieve a delicate balance between nature, privacy, and community with its newest development, the Hills of Troy near Hudson, Wisconsin. Seventy acres of the development are devoted to protected open space and each of the fifty-nine lots sit on at least one acre and has sweeping views of pine trees, rolling hills, and an elaborate trail system. Homeowners will be responsible for their own yard work and other home-maintenance needs, but community areas will be maintained by association dues.

Establishing a sense of community was important to Troy Development, the firm that was also behind nearby Troy Burne Village and Eagle Bluff. Hills of Troy has a park pavilion and family-friendly recreational spaces, including a soccer field, baseball fields, putting green, tennis court, community fire pit, and children’s play structure. “We’re giving lots of reasons for neighbors to be neighbors,” says sales representative Jennifer Failla.

The location is a primary draw. “There’s a feel of country living, but you still have a neighborhood where families can live together and not feel like they’re shoehorned into a city lot,” says Don Nelson of Stillwater-based American Classic Homes, one of the development’s five builders. “You’re very close to Hudson, which is a fun destination, and also close to River Falls, which has a college.”

Hudson-based homebuilder Dreamstructure has built one of the six model homes currently open. Valued at nearly $1.4 million, the 6,000-square-foot home has two separate staircases leading to the upper level. One staircase steers toward the owner’s suite (which has a two-tiered ceiling, formal dressing area, built-in plasma TV, and a balcony overlooking the ponds below) and to two other bedrooms. The second set of stairs leads to a play/exercise area and guest suite that can double as a home office. The home is built for entertaining, with a lower-level billiards and arcade area and a 900-square-foot, three-tiered home theater with 160-inch movie screen.

It’s a luxury retreat in keeping with the community’s decidedly family-oriented vibe. Small wonder then that it’s families that Jason Johnson, owner of Dreamstructure, predicts will be particularly drawn to the development. “We are looking for people who want a sanctuary from everyday life, where they can raise their family in a quiet, peaceful environment.”