Pulte Homes of Minnesota plans to build its first Del Webb retirement community in Corcoran, a city in northwestern Hennepin County where hobby farms and large lots dominate the landscape.
The sprawling, 393-unit development for "active adults" will offer homes ranging from the mid-$200,000s to the low $500,000s, according to a spokeswoman with Atlanta-based PulteGroup Inc.
Final details of the 146-acre project, known as Encore, will be discussed in late June by the Corcoran City Council, which approved a comprehensive plan earlier this year.
Pulte Minnesota plans to build in several phases. Single-level, villa-style homes are expected to be available for sale beginning in summer 2019.
The project is limited to those 55 and older and will be in the northeastern quadrant of the city, near the intersection of Stieg Road and County Road 101.
As with other Del Webb retirement communities, which are concentrated in the Southeast and other Sun Belt states, the Encore project is expected to feature resort-style amenities, such as fitness centers, pickleball and tennis courts as well as activity and social groups, according to Pulte's Macey Kessler.
This will be the second-largest real estate development project in Corcoran, according to City Administrator Brad Martens. A Lennar Homes project known as Ravinia is the largest, with 430 homes on 270 acres in the southeast.
Public meetings have mostly been supportive of the project, according to City Council minutes, but some residents have expressed concerns about such a large development resulting in increased traffic and a changing way of life in the area.
Corcoran is small in population, about 5,700, according to U.S. Census data, but about equal in size to nearby suburbs Plymouth and Maple Grove. Municipal sewer and water was extended in 2012, fueling much of the recent development growth, Martens said.
While the project is designed to draw buyers from beyond Corcoran, it will be important to residents as the population ages.
"We're currently missing that opportunity for seniors who want to stay in this community, and this will certainly help with that," Martens said.
While the fitness center and some other amenities will be exclusive to those who live in the Encore community, Martens said, the project calls for numerous trails, a woodlands area and a neighborhood park that will be open to the public.
Jackie Crosby • 612-673-7335
