A residential and retail development 14 years in the making is almost ready to break ground on the first of many houses in an upcoming Fernwood subdivision.
Sam Bionghi and Robert Campbell began purchasing the 40-acre property off Airport-Fernwood Road near Highway 51 in 2000, and now the lot is in the first phase of development.
The 92-lot subdivision that will be known as Fairway Estates is nestled next to Fernwood Country Club and across the street from a former par 3 golf course and driving range, which is being planned for development of a retail area for the residents of the subdivision.
“When we saw it, we knew vacant property right on a golf course over time had to be a good thing,” Campbell said.
The residential site is comprised of quarter-acre lots, and Bionghi said the French country homes will range from 1,800 to 2,200 square feet with pricetags between $250,000 and $300,000.
Bionghi said the vision was to some upscale-yet-affordable homes for the Fernwood area, especially with the potential influx of oilfield workers moving to southwest Mississippi to work in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale oil formation. Bionghi has worked in other areas of the country where fracking has taken place, and he said he has seen small towns explode with growth from the oil industry.
Bionghi said he expects to break ground on the first house this summer and finish in September with the hope that the first phase of construction, the completion of 14 houses, will be finished by the beginning of 2015.
Though the area is surrounded by vacant lots, Campbell said he and his partner have seen the possibilities of the area since purchasing the property, with two major thoroughfares, a neighboring airport and centralized location.
“A lot of things that will unfold in future years are right here,” he said. “This highway will someday probably be wider as things develop here. We just sat back 10 years ago and saw this and said we just have to be patient, but it will happen.”
Many homes in the subdivision will have a view of Fernwood Country Club fairways as well as two ponds built into the development. Residents will be offered one free year of membership to the country club with a golf cart path from the subdivision for easy access.
One delay on the development was the need for water and sewer accessibility at the site, and two neighboring water associations pooled their resources to bring utilities to the property.
Fernwood Water Association president Jimmy McDaniel said the association was able to work with Sunnyhill Water Association to provide both services — Sunnyhill will provide water to the area and Fernwood will provide sewer.
“It was two water associations working together for economic development, as I saw it — to see that we can improve this particular area of the county and entice people to move here, help industries want to locate here,” McDaniel said. “We worked together to make sure that area west of 51 had the water pressure and water quality for the development, no matter how many houses go in.”
McDaniel said the water and sewer lines have been laid at the development, but Sunnyhill will have to bore a water line under Interstate 55 and snake it down Airport-Fernwood Road to the subdivision. Some other residents within the area also will be able to use Sunnyhill water services once the line is installed.
“We worked together to make sure that area west of 51 had the water pressure and water quality for the development, no matter how many houses go in,” McDaniel said.
Across the street from the subdivision, Bionghi hopes to develop a retail and restaurant area for the residents and Fernwood community. Bionghi said many residents around Fernwood have already approached him to encourage the idea and suggest an upscale grocery store be one of the first tenants.
“We’re trying to make this a win-win situation for Fernwood and the whole community — create jobs, create quality homes and a shopping area,” Bionghi said.
To celebrate the pending construction, Bionghi and Campbell will host a crawfish boil at 4 p.m. Friday at Oak Ridge Ventures office at 3011 Airport-Fernwood Road, across the street from the development. As a former owner of two Italian restaurants during his many years in California, Bionghi will be preparing a dish as well.
The event is for all people involved with the development, including Sunnyhill and Fernwood water associations, and those interested in touring the site and learning more about the plans.
