The former Clavey Nursery is growing again, but this time homes are sprouting on the 255-acre site in far north suburban Gurnee.
Sundance Homes is building Ravinia Woods, which is planned for 506 homes in three price ranges. Located in the western part of the village, it is about a five-minute drive from the Gurnee Mills shopping complex and the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate Highway 94).
“Instead of cutting down almost 1,500 trees at the old nursery, we moved them to other parts of the property,” said Michael Schall, vice president of sales and marketing for Rolling Meadows-based Sundance Homes.
About 30 percent of the subdivision-82 acres-will be devoted to open space, wetlands and parks. That includes a 10-acre park that will be near a stand of mature oak trees.
“In the first phase of park development, Sundance will grade and seed the site and build a parking lot,” said Betty Russell, director of the Gurnee Park District. “In the second phase, we will install playground equipment and maintain the park.”
In addition, the builder plans to clear a pathway through the woods.
Urban Forest Management Inc. handled the massive transplanting operation at Ravinia Woods. After tagging, most of the trees were moved, balled and burlapped, then placed in a holding area. Later they were transplanted at the model and other strategic areas, including on berms along the outer borders of the subdivision.
To date, 129 homes have been sold at Ravinia Woods and 51 families have moved in. Preconstruction sales began last February, but models did not open until October.
Five decorated models are open in the Vista series, which includes homes priced from $152,990 to $162,990; and four models in the Ravinia series, priced from $181,990 to $193,990.
The living area in Vista series homes ranges from 1,550 to 1,825 square feet, and from 2,130 to 2,350 square feet in the Ravinia series.
One of the most popular models in the Ravinia series is the Seville, a two-story, four-bedroom home base-priced at $193,990. It features a double staircase and a loft overlooking the living room and foyer.
The Milan model, priced at $192,990, demonstrates how the third garage can be transformed into a bonus room. In the model, it is decorated as a den with a Western theme, complete with a bar, piano, cowbells on the wall and a horseshoe over the door.
Four models are scheduled to open this summer in the new Symphony series, according to Schall. Symphony series homes have musical names-Rhapsody, Concerto, Sonata, Crescendo-and carry top-of-the-line prices, ranging from $209,990 to $234,990. They offer 2,638 to 3,118 square feet of living area.
How did Ravinia Woods get its name?
“First was the obvious-the woods on the property,” said Schall. “But the Ravinia part was because we wanted a more upscale ambience, associating it with the Ravinia music festival in Highland Park.”
All streets in the subdivision are curved to avoid a monotonous grid appearance, Schall said. Homes in the different series will be separated into neighborhoods.
Among the buyers at Ravinia Woods are Fern and Tim Dale, who selected the Saville floor plan in the Ravinia series.
“We were one of the first families on our block,” said Fern. They moved in on Jan. 3 from a single-family home in Buffalo Grove. “We’re looking forward to meeting everyone in the neighborhood when the weather gets warmer,” she said.
“We wanted four bedrooms, and we looked at a lot of projects before we bought. Ravinia Woods offered the most square footage for the money,” Fern said.
They selected a full basement as an option, and later plan to install air conditioning and a fireplace.
Their 2,300-square-foot, two-story home has a three-car garage. “The third garage is handy for storage. We have two young children, and it will hold a lot of toys, bikes and other stuff,” she said.
The models are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Fridays, when hours are 1p.m. to 6 p.m. Ravinia Woods is on the east side of U.S. Highway 45, a half-mile north of Washington Street. The phone number is 708-223-2251.
