Final phase, San Poppi, set to open at Millwood

Keith Keltner will soon begin the final development at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club and St. Andrew's Club, located at Evans Road and Highway 65. Named San Poppi, the new community will feature single-family homes in an Old World Mediterranean style of architecture, said Janie Schumacher, Mill-wood marketing manager.

Scheduled to launch around the end of May, San Poppi will have unique piazzas (street plazas with water and landscaping), waterfalls and lakes, said Schumacher.

"We're not building just streets with houses; we're building a community nestled within Millwood. It's a new concept for Springfield," said Schumacher.

"Keith Keltner is the owner and developer. It's his idea to bring this kind of special neighborhood to Springfield. Through Ron Hill, the designer, he is realizing his dream of creating this kind of community," Schumacher added.

The architecture will be designed to resemble homes in the Tuscany region of Italy, said Schumacher. Tile roofs, stucco, stone, brick and ironwork are all part of the design features planned for San Poppi. Amenities will include a pavilion with a swimming pool.

Lot prices have not been finalized.

A San Poppi landmark is the leaning entry tower. Schumacher explained that San Poppi's entry towers will be built to resemble the defensive towers that are a part of Italian Renaissance architecture. She said one of the entrance towers will be leaning reminiscent of the Leaning Tower of Piza.

San Poppi isn't the only area where water is an important accent.

"We also have the St. Andrew's Club, a village of town homes. It features a beautiful waterfall in the center of the village. These are two-unit town homes. Keith Keltner's feeling behind St. Andrew's Club is that when you drive through St. Andrew's, it looks like a street of single-family mansions. In reality, they are really two homes together. We still have lots available in St. Andrew's. We have several spec homes that sell from the $400,000s," said Schumacher.

Schumacher describes St. Andrew's Club as the "ultimate in luxury living." Besides a view of the golf course and a "panoramic" forest, Schumacher said "one of the pluses to St. Andrew's is if you travel a lot or have more than one residence, you have a gated community with the security of a 24-hour guard and yard care. You can be gone and your house will still look manicured from the outside and someone will be watching your home for you."

Amenities at St. Andrew's Club include a club membership in the Millwood Golf and Racquet Club with the purchase of a lot, said Schumacher. Millwood is now a private club, although Mikayla's Grill is open to the public.

According to Schumacher, a few corporate and private memberships are still available for Millwood.

Club membership, she said, includes the social activities of the club, as well as use of the clubhouse, workout facility, member's lounge, swimming pool, hot tub, tennis courts and sauna. Social events include a children's swim team and pool parties. A golf level membership includes golfing with carts.

In addition to golf tournaments and lessons, Millwood hosts the Children's Charity Classic, which is a Pro-Am with Senior PGA Tour players. "We have raised more than $550,000 for charities in the Ozarks through this event. This is our sixth year and it will be held on Monday, June 10. Part of the event is a live auction at Millwood on June 9," said Schumacher.