The empty fields off Alabama Highway 14 won’t be vacant much longer. After working out the details of a $4.7 million dollar housing project for the past two years, Greensboro is expected to welcome the first phase of the Caldwell Creek Charrette in July.

The Hale County Housing Resource Center and HERO have teamed up with the Fannie Mae Foundation, Bennett and Company and the Auburn University School of Architecture to bring 100 new homes to Hale County.

“The Fannie Mae Foundation wanted to complete work in the Black Belt and we created this opportunity for them to work in Hale County,” Hale County Housing Resource Center director Pam Door said. “This will be a mixed income project, so it’s an ideal community for everyone.”

The Caldwell Creek community will include a community center with computers and Internet access, community garden, bike paths and walking trails that lead to Main Street and underground city utilities and sewer.

“All the homes will be connected to city water and sewer even though part is within city limits and part isn’t,” Door said, “It’s there and it’ll be cheaper for the residents.”

Community residents will also have access to HERO programs such as home buyer education, job counseling and referral, credit workshops and budget counseling, homeownership training, and daycare.

Phase one of the project will use tax-credited funds to transform approximately 12 acres of land into 17 three-bedroom, two bathroom and 15 four bedroom, two bathroom single-family homes. Door said families will move into the first set of homes in September of 2007 if all goes as planned.

Phases two and three will build 68 more single-family homes with funding from a Fannie Mae Foundation Grant and an approved housing grant.

“We are also going to use the profit from the first phase to create funding for the second and third phases,” Door added.

A number of the homes will be strictly for renting, while the rest will be available for purchase, Door said, in order to help Greensboro residents accumulate wealth from home ownership and “move out of poverty.”

Although the homes will vary in style and size, most will feature wrap-around porches, high ceilings with crawl space and a raised foundation to save energy, and cased windows.

Residents will also have a view of nature from their homes since the homes will follow the natural slope of the land.

“The homes are designed to be energy efficient,” Door said, “and you can see greenery if you look outside your windows so it’s a beautiful view.”

Potential residents must fill out an application before being approved for a home in Caldwell Creek. If selected to move into the area, occupants must also abide by a set of “community convents” to keep the area clean, beautiful and stress-free.

For more information about the Caldwell Creek project, contact Pam Door at (334) 624-0842.