Two new custom-built model homes near Millard North High School stand out in a number of ways.
The sloped lots on which they’re built, and their height, offer lots of options for amenities like indoor golf simulators, transparent pneumatic vacuum elevators and rooftop decks with expansive views. They’re close to trails, green spaces, restaurants and shops, offering a walkable urban lifestyle not typically found in west Omaha.
And the upscale neighborhood they’re part of is the first substantial new residential development east of 180th Street in the Millard Public Schools area in nearly 20 years.
“We’re really excited to present this,” said Mamie Jackson of Jackson Group Real Estate-Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate.
The two homes are the first to be unveiled in The Arbour at Heartwood Preserve, which is part of the 500-acre, mixed-use urban development that stretches from West Dodge Road to just south of Pacific Street and from 144th to 153rd Streets on what was once farmland owned by Boys Town.
And they’re among six custom homes in five neighborhoods in west Omaha, the Elkhorn area and Gretna featured in this year’s Metro Omaha Builders Association Street of Dreams Multisite Luxury Home Tour, which continues Friday through Sunday. More information about the tour, including an app with directions, photos of participating homes and ticket purchase details, can be found on organization’s website, moba.com. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. each day.
The long-running tour is intended to provide inspiration for potential home buyers and those considering remodeling. It also gives visitors an opportunity to check out the craftsmanship member builders offer.
In fact, Jackson and TJ Jackson, her husband and business partner, are so sold on The Arbour that they’re already designing their own home in the development. It will be their first move from their current home of 21 years.
“To be part of that urban community, that’s what drew us to this neighborhood,” TJ Jackson said.
Another part of the draw, he said, is the commitment that Applied Underwriters, the owner and main driver behind the greater Heartwood Preserve development, has made to the community and its success.
Heartwood Park, for instance, offers free activities to the public during the summer and includes an amphitheater and band shell that can accommodate upward of 5,000 spectators. An ice-skating rink is open in colder months.
Heartwood Preserve already is home to Valmont Industries Inc.’s headquarters building, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, 30hop and Charleston’s restaurants, among other office and retail buildings and Ovation Heartwood Preserve senior living community.
Work is underway in Heartwood Row on Olsson’s four-story office building. Early sales also have begun for a luxury condominium development called The Residences at the Heartwood Preserve.
Applied Underwriters, along with the Jackson Group and the Arbour Building Group, broke ground on The Arbour in October. The Arbour Building Group is made up of G. Lee Homes, Silverthorn Custom Homes and Mecco-Henne Contracting.
The development includes 220 lots and the developers are offering multiple plans with several different living styles, Mamie Jackson said. Deposits have been placed on 13 lots. Both of the new models are priced at $1.3 million, but the developers also are designing homes that come in under $1 million. Row homes also will be available nearby in the $600,000 to $700,000 range.
The lots for the models measure 35 feet wide and a little more than 100 feet deep. “We’re building up, not out,” Mamie Jackson said.
The first model home at 623 S. 148th St. is a deceptively spacious 3,900-square-foot two-story with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and several decks. It has 10-foot ceilings and a Scandinavian feel, including a vaulted ceiling in the primary bedroom, which also features a coffee bar and wine refrigerator.
While the homes don’t have back yards, there are pet-friendly options, the couple said. And if golf isn’t the homebuyer’s game, the lower level can be customized as a theater, craft room or other space. Garage options also vary up to four cars.
“You can customize as much as you want, but we have a design team to help you,” TJ Jackson said. “What’s your dream vision in a home? Let’s create that for you.”
The second model at 627 S. 148th St., with three bedrooms and five bathrooms, has a moodier, midcentury vibe. It’s topped by a rooftop deck with an approximately 260-degree view of the area. It includes an area for a rooftop cabana with a garage-style door.
“We think it’s the best view of west Omaha you have in the city,” Mamie Jackson said.
Staircases can be widened to fit a transparent polycarbonate pneumatic vacuum elevator. Powered by air pressure, they don’t require hoists or the other usual machinery and won’t leave passengers stuck inside if the power goes out, adding an option for homeowners who want to be able to easily age in place. Not only do the elevators look like pieces of art, TJ Jackson said, they come in three sizes, including one large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
Both homes are equipped with high-end Miele appliances and the exteriors are clad in lifetime materials, including DaVinci roofs.
The Jacksons said the models already have sparked a lot of interest during the first weekend of the tour.
“The whole vibe of this has been so well-received because it’s a different kind of lifestyle,” he said.
julie.anderson@owh.com, 402-444-1066, twitter.com/julieanderson41
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