State Journal
October 10-16, 2008
By Alexis McDaniel
Bridgeport – National headlines warn of a housing slump and a recession, but Charles Pointe in Bridgeport, a new, master-planned community, recently began offering single family housing.
It’s not a surprise to Bridgeport director of Community Development Randy Spellman that contractor S&A Homes filed for eight housing permits in just a few months and is expected to file more before the end of the year.
“We really don’t see the national trends in this area,” Spellman said. “We just stay steady.”
In fact, with the additional permits, Bridgeport may top its annual record of new construction for single-family housing this year, he said. Traditionally, the city of about 7,500 welcomes between 25 and 40 new homes in a year.
“Activity is higher because of the Charles Pointe developments,” Spellman said.
He said the way Charles Pointe is structured, with full-time home sales consultants and a variety of predetermined home models, helps home buyers through the complicated building process.
Charles Pointe was founded by James Corton and Jennifer Compton-Corton on 1,700 acres near Interstate-79 in Bridgeport.
It features a mix of commercial, residential and recreational space, including a unique “downtown” marketplace that is under construction now.
Planning began about a decade ago, while the first structures began appearing in 2005. Charles Pointe already is a home to hotels, a conference center, day care center, doctor’s office, as well as townhomes and duplexes.
S&A Homes, a regional business based in Pennsylvania, was selected as the sole contractor for housing and has an office and staff inside the garage of a carriage house, which is a fully decorated as a model.
Todd Stafford is division manager in Bridgeport. He explained that there are four neighborhoods at Charles Pointe, with two of them specifically for single-family homes.
The infrastructure recently was completed for both of them to allow the company to begin selling lots and constructing homes.
Hunter’s Chase features homes with two to four bedrooms, while Worthington Village (which has been more popular among the first buyers) offers larger homes with as many as five bedrooms. Prices range from $250,000 to $400,000.
When clients come knocking, the sales staff works with the home buyer by asking them questions about their lifestyles and what types of housing would fit their needs.
If single-family housing is the way to go, then there are 17 styles from which to choose. While this is a popular way of selling a new home in larger cities, it’s not typically seen in smaller cities.
Stafford said consultants walk clients through the process of picking out exterior selections, such as brick, vinyl or stone, and interior choices of cabinetry and flooring.
“We can build a house tailored for their lifestyle,” Stafford said.
Charles Pointe officials expect it to take between 10 and 15 years to complete the community.
Call S&A Homes at (304) 842-5154 or visit www.charlespointe.com for information.