YES, THE ‘T’ IS SILENT

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The first neighborhood in Grow Community phase 2 is called the Grove, so it’s apropos that one of its signature buildings draws its name from the Northwest forest.

The Tsuga (pronounced SOO-guh) is named for a familiar group of conifers from the pine family — your friendly neighborhood western hemlock. These grand, fragrant giants are so central to our local environs, we even honor Tsuga heterophylla as our Washington state tree.

We had the quiet nobility of this splendid specimen in mind as we designed the Tsuga. Most residences in this bright and airy building offer single-level living with outdoor patios for gardening and entertaining, and 1,200 to nearly 1,600 square feet of comfortable, ultra-energy-efficient living space.

One remarkable unit offers a unique three-story layout, with a spacious outdoor deck on every level and a more-than-generous area for a home theater, workout room or den. So we might say, “tsee the Tsuga” — find colorful renditions and a really cool interactive display of available floor plans here

Grow Community solar – now a radio star!

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Grow Community’s solar program got the star treatment on KIRO-FM’s “Real Estate Today” over the weekend.

Grow project manager Greg Lotakis was among the panelists for “Simple Solar,” an hourlong discussion of Washington’s dramatic solar incentives and the ease of financing new solar systems for homeowners — and the tremendous benefits for solar adapters like Grow Community residents.

Real Estate Today’s popular host Tom Kelly interviewed Greg along with Tim Bailey, Blue Frog Solar founder and principal; Shannon Ellis-Brock, COO of Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union; Reeves Clippard, founder and CEO of A&R Solar of Seattle. On-air callers had great questions for the in-studio team, our partners in the Grow solar program.

Almost 100% of homes in Grow phase 1, the Village, now have an operational solar system or are queued up to get one installed, giving Grow distinction as the largest planned solar community in Washington state. Solar will be a key feature of our next two phases, the Grove and the Park.

Homes in the Village are producing between 85 and 105 percent of their energy needs through their rooftop installations.

“Until you can see and feel and understand that it works, it feels like it’s a myth,” Greg told Real Estate Today listeners.
“It’s been pretty remarkable.”

Listen to a podcast of the program on the Real Estate Today website.

Big thanks to Tom Kelly for his interest in Grow Community and the Simple Solar program!

Breaking Ground, Then Making It Better Than Ever

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We’ll do our best to keep the dust down, and the noise. But bear with us for a few days, and we think you’ll like what comes next.

Site preparation work gets under way this week at our new Grove and Park neighborhoods, beginning with removal of the old military housing along John Adams Way.

We’ll be recycling as much of the material as we can, although lead paint unfortunately will prevent reuse of some debris. You’ll also see some tree harvesting around the five-acre site being performed by the good craftspeople of Bainbridge Island’s Coyote Wood Shop. These will be milled and repurposed as fine furniture. Maybe even to use in future homes in the Grove!

Next comes the good stuff. As part of site development, we’ll be planting more than 210 new trees.

These healthy new specimens will define and enhance the Grove’s signature green corridors, help neighborhood stormwater retention, and play a big role in carbon sequestration for future generations. In case you missed it, you can read all about Grow Community’s tree plan here.

We expect onsite tree salvage to go through the week, and demolition of old structures to run about a week after that. Watch this site for updates, and then look forward to watching the Grove neighborhood rise up in your midst.

Construction update: All’s super at Cooper

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As we begin home presales in Phase 2, we’re rounding out our first neighborhood, the Village, with the Cooper Apartments on the north end of the grounds.

Cooper West is now getting its interior finishes and fixtures. All windows and doors have been installed, and with siding more than 50 percent complete, the exterior look is really taking shape; watch for exterior painting in the next few weeks. The building should be completed and ready for move-in by mid-September.

Cooper East follows right behind, and should be ready for tenants on Oct. 1. Both buildings are fully leased.

Meanwhile, Phase 2: The Grove and the Park neighborhoods have now gone before the city’s Design Review Board, the Planning Commission and the Hearing Examiner, and we’ve earned positive recommendations at every step of the process. Next we submit plat drawings for the subdivision to the City Council for review and approval.

The permit for the site work and the Grove’s underground garage have been submitted and are under review. Once permits are released later this summer, demolition, grading and utility work will begin on the full five acres. Watch our Grow Community news page for further updates.

NEEA, Next Steps Homes – Case Study

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The Everett home in the Village is part of NEEA‘s (Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) pilot project: Next Step Homes. The purpose of this pilot – partnering with a select group of builders across the Northwest – is to determine the most cost-effective ways to build homes that will achieve the greatest energy. Check out our case study on their website here and learn more.

Grow Community Brokers Open

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Thursday, July 24 2014, 10am-1pm

180 Olympic Drive, Bainbridge Island

Hello, Real Estate Agents: Grow Community phase 2 is here, and we want you to have the inside scoop. Find out about our newest neighborhood, the Grove, and its mix of luxury single-level homes, townhomes and single-family residences arrayed around a quiet woodland in Washington’s largest solar-ready community.

Join us Thursday, July 24 for a Brokers Open at our new sales office at 180 Olympic Drive, right next to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. Enjoy hospitality, socialize with your fellow real estate professionals in a casual setting, and enter a drawing for two free tickets to the upcoming Bloedel Gala garden party at Bloedel Reserve.

Please be our guests at this fantastic Brokers Open. We look forward to seeing you!

Strong demand for Grove neighborhood

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What a great opening weekend! Buyers reserved 27 percent of homes in the Grove, Grow Community’s newest neighborhood, during the grand opening of our new sales office this past weekend.

Thank you to everyone who made our opening weekend gala such a success!

Great opportunities are still available in the Grove with its mix of single-level homes, townhomes and single-family residences, all arrayed around a quiet native woodland and orchard. With beautifully designed, ultra-efficient homes and even a solar option, the Grove sets a new standard for healthy, sustainable living.

If you haven’t visited yet, come find out more about Grow Community at our sales office, 180 Olympic Drive SE, right next to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. The office is open noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

Solar-powered Grow Community continues to blossom outside of Seattle

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Green building guru Matt Hickman of the popular Mother Nature Network has a great writeup here about Grow Community phase 2, calling it “even more lovable” than phase 1!

Mother Nature Network

Matt Hickman
Wed, Jul 09, 2014 at 02:36 PM

Bainbridge Island’s fast-growing intentional community enters phase two with the unveiling of new intergenerational micro-neighborhoods where cars are out of sight, out of mind.

When I last checked in with Grow Community, an exceptionally sustainable residential development on Bainbridge Island, Wash., it consisted of nothing more than three net-zero energy model homes, a sales office, and a whole lot of well-deserved hype.

Now, nearly two years later, it’s apparent that this beyond LEED-striving intentional community has gone through quite the growth spurt.

In the time since the first phase of Grow Community entered the sales process (and quickly sold out), the development’s maiden micro-neighborhood, the near-completed Village, has emerged as the largest solar-powered community in Washington State. And in addition to Grow Community and its developers, Asani Development, being the subject of a decent amount of local, national, and international press, one of the Village’s Jonathan Davis-designed panelized homes was featured prominently in Sherri Koones’ latest coffee table-ready modular building tome “Prefabulous World.” Fast Company went as far to deem the Village — and Grow Community, as a whole — as “arguably the most resilient – and healthiest” urban neighborhood in the entire United States.

While continuing to garner the accolades, Grow Community has announced plans to move ahead with phase two of the development, a phase that will see the creation of two new micro-neighborhoods, the Grove and the Park, along with a community center to join the Village.

Sales for homes at the Grove kicked off earlier this month with prices starting in the $400s.

What strikes me most about phase two of Grow Community is what a departure it is from phase one while managing to stay true to the development’s overall — and very much holistic —vision of creating a progressive yet totally laid-back eco-utopia driven by the rigorous framework established by One Planet Living’s Communities program.

Introducing the Grove & the Park

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Urban living with nature at every doorstep.

Grow Community’s first neighborhood, the Village, set a new standard for comfortable, sustainable urban living with its cluster of beautifully designed, energy-efficient single-family homes. Now come the Grove and the Park, two new neighborhoods of high-quality, sustainable homes surrounding lush public greens and a shared community center. The garden spaces, healthy transportation options and low-carbon designs of the Village are here too — along with those solar-ready roofs — this time in a new mix of designs including townhomes and single-level homes.

The Grove and the Park also promote intergenerational living. Sixty percent of the homes will be fully accessible, and the community center will invite year-round sharing among our current and future residents over many generations.

Very soon we will begin pre-selling homes in the Grove and are opening a sales office at 180 Olympic Drive SE on Bainbridge Island – just a 2 minute walk from the ferry terminal. We invite you to come and learn about this beautiful new phase of Grow Community.

We hope you’ll join us for our Grand Opening weekend – July 12 & 13th, 12-5pm.

 

 

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Home Sales Begin for New Grove Neighborhood in Grow Community

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA. 6.30.14 – Advance reservations are now underway for Grow Community 2, a sustainable, solar-powered community on Bainbridge Island.

Grow Community’s latest phase will bring two new neighborhoods, the Grove and the Park, featuring a mix of townhomes, single-level homes and single-family residences. Homes in the Grove will be arrayed around a quiet native woodland, while the Park’s residences will flank a broad open green. A community center for use by residents unites these neighborhoods and the Village, which is nearing completion.

“We’re very excited to be embarking on this next phase of the community,” said Jeff Sharp, Grow Community development manager. “In designing and building the Grove and the Park, we are completing our vision of providing an enriching place to live – one that provides opportunities to age in place, enjoy the benefits and satisfaction inherent with intergenerational living and doing it all in a sustainable and healthy community.”

Accessible floor plans promote Grow Community’s goal of intergenerational living. Sixty percent of the new neighborhoods will be dedicated to green space and community gardens, and most parking will be underground.

Sales begin with the Grove neighborhood for 49 homes in the Salal, Juniper and Tsuga, featuring two- and three-bedroom single-level homes; the Elan townhomes, which include four two-bedroom and four three-bedroom two-story homes; and the Woodland, two-bedroom, single-family attached residences.

The sales office opens July 12-13 at 180 Olympic Drive SE next to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, just 35 minutes from downtown Seattle. For more details see www.growbainbridge.com

Grove neighborhood completion and owner occupancy is set for 2015. Sales for the Park neighborhood, also offering a variety of home designs, will be announced later this year.

The Grove and the Park are designed by the award-winning firm Cutler Anderson Architects.

Grow Community’s first neighborhood, the Village, broke ground in 2012 and all homes promptly sold out, indicating strong demand for the innovative One Planet Living concepts on which the community is based. Construction of multifamily units in the Village will be completed this summer. All units are preleased, and there is a strong waiting list for future vacancies.

Developed by Asani, a Bainbridge Island company committed to creating sustainable living, Grow Community is an intentional neighborhood designed for an intergenerational mix of residents with a range of floor plans ideal for families, young professionals and seniors. Grow Community is adjacent to Winslow town center and a short distance from the ferry terminal.

Possibility, Connection, Happiness

During a rigorous two-year concept phase, Asani invited participation from the local community and asked the question, “What kind of a neighborhood do you want to live in?” What emerged was an idea for a new kind of community, based around the ideals of health and happiness, possibility, and deeper connections with the community and the land.

The Grow design team adopted the One Planet Living framework to guide planning and development. Based on the 10 principles of sustainability developed by BioRegional and The World Wildlife Fund, One Planet Living envisions communities in which people everywhere can enjoy a high quality of life within the productive capacity of the planet.

Grow Community’s first phase, the Village, was endorsed as only the fifth One Planet Community in the world and the first residential project in the United States.

The Grove and Park neighborhoods in the second phase are also guided by the One Planet Living framework. An example of that framework in action is the concept of a “five-minute lifestyle” where residents are close to local amenities and urban attractions in Winslow town center, reducing their dependency on automobiles. A neighborhood car-share program offers Grow residents access to an electric vehicle charged by a solar-powered station – a unique zero-carbon option.

Largest solar community in Washington state

With the goal of making zero-carbon living both attainable and affordable, Asani partnered with local solar companies to develop an optional solar package for every home in the Village. This option continues in phase 2, with solar offered on all residential units including townhomes, single-level residences and single family homes. The package makes it easy for owners to understand the upfront costs and the financing strategy. It also explains the federal tax credits that are available and how the solar energy that is produced can pay for the cost of the system while dramatically reducing or altogether eliminating a resident’s electric bill.

“We wanted to make it easy to live a more sustainable lifestyle, so it was a simple decision to provide a well thought out program for adding solar energy to our homes,” said Jeff Sharp, Grow Community development manager. “At the end of the day, this approach worked very well for our residents and that allowed the community to achieve the distinction of becoming the largest solar community in the state.”
More information is available at www.growbainbridge.com

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ABOUT ASANI: Bainbridge Island-based Asani is a community of planners, architects, contractors and developers working to positively impact communities and the environment with profitable projects that are both socially responsible and ecologically sustainable. Past and current projects include Vineyard Lane, Island Gateway, the Kids’ Discovery Museum, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and Grow Community.