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FALL HOME
| WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
| THE GLOBE
DGLOBE.COM
Special to The Globe
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Condo craze By Julie Buntjer The Globe WORTHINGTON — One year after KJSM Investments began building the Cherrywood Addition directly south of Olson Park, three of the two-unit condominiums have already been sold, and a fourth two-unit condo is now under construction. The investment group, which includes Kyle, Jason, Steve and Mike Johnson of Johnson Builders & Realty, will eventually construct six two-unit condos and one single family home on the site, with two condo associations — one for those on the north side of the cul-de-sac, and one for the homes on the south side, according to Kyle Johnson. There is an existing single-family home that connects in with the cul-de-sac, and Johnson said the lot for the second single-family home is sold. “I’ve always been a little surprised by the number of condos in town and the continued demand for them,” Johnson shared. “There’s a lot of people in town — or moving to town — that a condo is a good fit for them. “It’s really a good fit
for people who don’t want to worry about lawn care, snow removal or maintenance,” he added. “It’s a more convenient way of living — there’s no steps; it’s a lot more user friendly.” The Johnsons had purchased the land a decade ago, eying future development within the city of Worthington. The location appealed to them because of the mature trees in Olson Park, and the views of Lake Okabena, more apt to be seen during the winter months when the trees have lost their leaves. “We thought it was a great side of town, and it’s also a touch out of the hustle and bustle,” Johnson said of the site. And, with a cul-de-sac, there’s not likely to be much traffic for the residents who will call Cherrywood home. “I think that Cherrywood is a great location,” he added. “I spent a lot of time as a little kid in Olson Park, so that area is a little special to me. When I ride my bike around town, that’s always an area that I’m going through. To see some development in that area — especially condos — I just think
Demand for condominium living continues in Worthington they’re appropriate for that space.” The first four units completed in the Cherrywood Addition became occupied this summer. Since those units were sold prior to construction, the new owners were able to choose many of the interior features of their condo, such as tweaking the floor plan, creating wider hallways, and choosing kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring, trim, paint and other features. Some chose to add a sunroom, fireplace or walk-in shower. “The amount of things you can do with condos — to make them really your own and have the features you want — those are relevant when these things are presold,” Johnson said. “We try to keep the outside looking the same — the shingles, siding, windows and garage doors.” The third two-unit condo, which is closest to Crailsheim Drive, should be completed in late November. Those units were also pre-sold. Johnson said each condo features two bedrooms and two baths, with one bathroom off of the master bedroom. A laundry room is also
near the master bedroom. The mechanical rooms are all located off of the garage. “There’s no steps — they’re on a crawl space so we can run ductwork and plumbing underneath,” Johnson said. “We try to put the windows in strategic areas for good views.” The Johnsons just started construction on the fourth two-unit condo, with framing to start in the next couple of weeks. Plans are to get the concrete in this fall, with the building taking shape late this fall or early winter. Neither of those units has been sold, Johnson shared. “When you develop anything, you take a leap of faith,” Johnson said. “It’s the leap of faith that’s necessary to make something happen in that area.”
So far, their leap of faith has paid off. Johnson said if they find buyers for the fourth unit, they will likely move forward with building the last two condos on the site before the end of 2022. All of the condos in the development have taken advantage of the Nobles Home Initiative’s fiveyear tax abatement program on new construction. Johnson said the program is another tool they have to encourage people to consider building new. “There’s a lot of perks to a new building — you can build it the way you want it … and everything is new,” he said. During the last year and a half with the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Johnsons have — like everyone else who works in construction — experienced
delays in getting materials. That has to get factored into any new project. “You’re always checking on material availability,” Johnson said. “Some materials have shot up in price, and for some, the lead times have shot up. It depends on the type of materials.” Despite some of the challenges, Johnson said they’ve been blessed to have a lot of work to keep them busy. Between renovations at the Armory for the Nobles County Historical Society and renovations at Hotel Thompson, their construction crews have quite a workload. “There’s still a lot of stuff to get done this fall,” he said. “We’re very, very blessed to stay busy and work for a lot of people we’ve worked for time and time again.”
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