Face-to-Face v. Wired:
community life @Meadowmont and
Meadowmont.org
± history
East-West Partners wanted to capture the romance and idealism of neighborhoods
of the early 1900s, with wrap-around porces, homes pulled close to streets,
small lots, a town square, and recreation centers. The developers wanted "intentional
interaction" and "socialization."
Begun in 1999, Meadowmont welcomed its first homeowners and renters in late
2001. The retirement village (Cedars) is expected to open in Fall 2004 (land
is now being cleared). Harris Teeter opened in September 2002. Brixx in April
2002. Several other shops also in mid-2002. The Greenway and Hilltop Condos
will be under construction within the next two or three months. All of Meadowmont
expected to build out through 2005.
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The
development comprises 1,250 residential units on 435 acres eventually
housing around 2,500 people (the perfect population for a community newspaper,
by the way). Properties go from $1.5 million at the high end to $120,000
for a "Greenway" condo. Apartment rents: $800 to $1,200/ month.
(at left is a cottage home, which range from $240,000 to $350,000) |
Meadowmont features:
** Swim club
** Chapel Hill/Carrboro Elementary School. "No more school carpool." Coming in August 2003, within walking distance of all homes at Meadowmont. Unless you lose the lottery.
** Town park. 70-acre park with four playing fields for baseball and soccer, walking trails.
** The Cedars of Chapel
Hill retirement community. The Cedars includes villas, veranda homes, individual
cottage homes, a Clubhouse and onsite Health Center.
** Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center. The $24 million executive education center is a branch of UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
** UNC Hospitals Wellness
Center: exercise, health and nutrition programs.
Intranet
Part of what admittedly is E-W's brand identity, the intranet and wired homes
are meant to differentiate Meadowmont from other housing alternatives.
For the intranet, E-W selected Resident Interactive in Atlanta, a community
intranet supplier leveraging Oracle-driven databases and boasting 500 communities
using its services.
Goals included eliminating paper (newsletters, directories, announcements, architectural
review documents, covenants) and achieving or facilitating "community"
through chat rooms, message boards, classifieds, and special interest clusters.
± links
www.residentinteractive.com
meadowmont.com
www.meadowmont.org
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