Springfield Habitat plans subdivision groundbreaking

Habitat for Humanity-Springfield will officially launch the beginning of development in Legacy Trails at 2 p.m. March 10, at the subdivision site, 3800 N. FR 143, according to a news release. The 18-acre subdivision is north of Springfield’s city limits between north Highway 13 and old Highway 13.

The Springfield Habitat affiliate completed its first subdivision, the McAL development, in 2005, with a total of 51 homes. Legacy Trails is being designed with low-impact development techniques to protect the environment. The site, which was initially zoned for 72 homes, will have only 56 to allow for maximum use of green space.

As the work on Legacy Trails begins, Habitat-Springfield is preparing to move its ReStore, which sells donated new and used building supplies. Keltner Enterprises is donating a 19,240-square-foot building at 2410 S. Scenic Ave. to house the store, as well as Habitat warehouses and office space. The building, which is to be handed over to Habitat later this year, represents the largest single gift in the 18-year history of the Springfield affiliate. The commercial appraised value of the building is $455,000, according to the Greene County Assessor’s Office.

The ReStore, currently at 4535 W. Chestnut Expressway, will be able to offer affordable furniture in addition to building supplies once it’s moved to the new, larger space.

While it’s a busy time for the Springfield Habitat affiliate, Habitat for Humanity International is getting the attention – and support – of the federal government. HFHI received $10.7 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program.

“The SHOP program is a wonderful example of how the public, private and nonprofit sectors of our country can come together to provide a decent place to live for working families,” said Paul Rogers, vice president of Habitat for Humanity International, in a news release. “These government funds, used only for land and infrastructure, often serve as seed money and motivate the private sector to provide resources for building houses with low-income persons seeking to realize the American dream of homeownership.”[[In-content Ad]]