Mason Run, a 55-acre new neighborhood

Mason Run, a 55-acre new neighborhood in Monroe, Michigan, recently went under construction on the site of a former paper mill. The city acquired the mill and sold off a portion to Crosswinds Communities, which hired Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh for the master planning and architectural guidelines. The project will have a high profile in the city of 23,000, because it connects directly with the existing street grid. The site has frontage on the Raisin River, where a crescent shaped park will offer a dramatic entrance. Crosswinds Communities, based in Novi, Michigan, known as a highly competitive builder of entry level housing in the suburbs, has sought to keep costs down while maintaining varied, attractive public spaces. One example is the use of building materials (see Vinyl Innovations, page 10). Houses in Mason Run will sell from the low 100,000s to the middle 200,000s, says Bernard Glieberman, company president. The infill/brownfield project includes up to 500 home sites and a school. Crosswinds has acquired purchasing options on additional land to expand the project and perhaps add commercial elements.