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Construction Update
> See
photographs of our current homebuilding efforts on the Current
Projects page
October 2005:
Thanks to all our October volunteers, Emerald Hollow Phase
II is moving along! Drywall is almost complete in Cluster
14, a six-unit cluster, and painting and trim and cabinet
installation has begun in several of the homes. The cluster
should be finished by mid-December so the families can celebrate
Christmas in their new homes. Foundations for Cluster 15,
another six-unit cluster, were completed and the first walls
were raised by participants in the Women Build.
May 2005: General Construction
Update
We are thrilled to announce that we have broken ground on
Phase II! (Special thanks to Justin
Isabell for his tireless effort in putting together the
drawings for Phase II.) In mid-April, general contractors,
Couzin’s Excavating & Contracting, Inc., took to
the heavy equipment and began the work on the new site which
will accommodate 36 additional homes in Emerald Hollow. Crews
began with tree protection and silt fence and have begun to
cut in the retention basin. Volunteers have been taking advantage
of the spring weather, installing
a split rail fence on the property. Permits for the first
homes have been filed, and we will soon be laying the foundation
and hammering nails for a 6-unit cluster.
Meanwhile, the site crew has been working hard to complete
all development punchlist items on Phase I. They have been
grading and seeding, repairing sidewalk and finalizing the
Phase I basin area. In addition the site crew has made interior
and exterior repairs to the farmhouse located on the Phase
II property. The house currently serves as home for our AmeriCorps
staff and will be sold off at the end of Phase II to help
defray the cost of the 36 homes being built. The repairs and
maintenance of the farmhouse will ensure that the building
remains a valuable asset for the future.
Finally, the site crew has been active in community service
projects in the Bucks County area, lending their expertise
to assist our neighbors in need. While we have made excellent
use of the last month, we are looking forward to welcoming
our volunteers back to site and beginning the foundations
and framing of our first Phase II homes.
April 2005: Emerald Hollow
Phase I
Emerald Hollow Phase I is
complete! Construction on the Emerald Hollow development
in Trumbauersville began in September, 2001 and was completed
at the beginning of February, 2005. During this time, 37 townhouses
were built by Habitat staff and volunteers. Twenty-five of
these houses were built as affordable housing for Bucks County
families, and 12 were sold on the open market to raise money
for future building projects. One of the ways Habitat keeps
housing costs low for homeowners is through use of volunteer
labor. Volunteers donated 64,244 hours of labor to complete
Phase I. Over 8500 volunteers assisted in construction, including
over 1500 youth under 18 years old. Groundbreaking on Emerald
Hollow Phase II is set to begin shortly. Phase II will be
located in Milford Township, adjacent to the completed properties.
This project will feature 36 townhouses, all of which represent
affordable housing for Habitat families.
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