Pools, playgrounds, and clubhouses are no longer enough to lure home buyers to buying in a new home community. Today’s masterplan developers increasingly focus on making life convenient and enjoyable for their residents. Here are some great examples of community offerings:
- Links to employment (inside the community or via rail from the community)
- Healthy activities centered around fitness, wellness, and accessing nature
- Opportunities to make friends with fellow residents at food trucks, cultural events, or even cruises
Below are creative ways developers are building a lifestyle, rather than just a community to live in.
1. Links to Employment
The Campus at Playa Vista in Los Angeles provides residents with the ultimate zero commute lifestyle by integrating major employment into their community. Onsite employers include Google, YouTube, Imax, and many more.
Source: www.playavista.com
Union Point in the Boston area is building an onsite commuter rail station to connect residents to the existing MBTA system.
2. Healthy Activities
Ave Maria in Naples, Florida, partnered with Jeep to create the ultimate outdoor adventure. Residents can now take a 90-minute eco-adventure through some of the most beautiful and preserved land within the masterplan.
Source: www.orangejeeptours.com
Lake Nona in Orlando leverages the concept that related businesses and institutions in close proximity will drive success. Their clusters of excellence combine health and wellness with sports and performance. The masterplan includes a 650-acre health and life sciences park known as medical city, the Johnson and Johnson Human Performance Institute for athletic performance, the United States Tennis Association National Campus with 100 tennis courts, and a 23-acre soccer training facility.
Source: www.lakenona.com
Rough Hollow near beautiful Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, provides members with a concierge and seasonal valet services, allowing members to easily retrieve and use their boats.
Source: www.roughhollowclub.com
3. Opportunities to Make Friends
BlueStar-managed Trilogy communities by Shea offer Explore 360, a new cross-community travel program. Explore 360 allows members to travel the world alongside fellow 55+ residents in pre-planned and coordinated trips.
Source: www.trilogylife.com
The developers of Ridgegate in Lone Tree, Colorado, provide residents access to the arts and education. They worked with the city of Lone Tree to build a world-class arts center and a district library within the community.
Source: www.ridgegate.com
The Mueller MPC in Austin, Texas, reimagined retail by including a food truck court that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Up to six local food trucks can be found in the food court at any given time.
Source: www.facebook.com/pg/machineheadcoffee
Successful developers include amenities that cater to new consumer trends that cannot be found in the resale market. We have invested heavily in tools that aid our consultants in helping developers achieve success. These proprietary tools include:
- Our demographics work (our new book Big Shifts Ahead)
- Our Consumer and Product Insight Survey (a survey of 21,000+ new home shoppers)
- Our DesignLens subscription service (a database of photos and analysis of the most innovative new home and community designs)
New masterplans deserve a price premium and strong sales. Today, employment proximity, healthy living, and social interaction drive successful results.
We are always looking for additional examples of unique amenities and would love you to share yours with us. Please contact Devyn Bachman or Jody Kahn with examples. You can also find the right consultant to help you on our website.
