New “villas” or long-term rentals might be coming to Ford’s Colony next year.
Dorothea M. Ford Trust bought 5.3 acres at 245 Ford’s Colony Drive from REDUS VA Housing LLC for $550,000, according to a news release from Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.
Robert “Bob” Thornton, who handled the sale negotiations, told WYDaily the Trust wanted to use the land for residential development and the entity that bought the property from Wells Fargo Bank was the family who developed Ford’s Colony.
Brian Ford, former vice president for Ford’s Colony and current managing partner of Never4Get LLC, said he met with the Board of Directors at Ford’s Colony Tuesday via Zoom to discuss the future plans for the residential property.
Ford added they sold the real estate company ––he has 50 percent in his mother’s trust and created the new LLC after he closed the deal on the villas on Sept. 11.
Ford’s mother died in June.
“I came up with the name in remembrance of both my mother and 9/11,” he wrote in an email.
The property at 245 Ford’s Colony has two condominium buildings, which are owned by property owners in Ford’s Colony not Ford himself.
Those buildings were not included in the sale, Ford said.
“Yeah the property it has two existing condominiums buildings on it and it was scheduled to be five more buildings,” he said. “We basically purchased the five remaining pads.”
He added they will be “totally separate from our little project.”
The project
If the project is approved by James City County, they will build two new buildings with 30 units and the villas or long-term rentals will have 6-month minimum.
In addition the 60 villas on the new property, the adjacent plot, which is separate by a driveway, allows up to 14 units, which means a total of 74 villas, he added.
“It’s going to be 1, 2, 3 bedrooms and some 3 bedrooms with a den like penthouses,” Ford said. “So part of their rent, each one of these people who rent these villas, they all will be considered homeowners in Ford’s Colony.”
“They will have access to all the Ford’s Colony amenities so there is no need for additional amenities.”
Some of the amenities available at Ford’s Colony include tennis courts, two pools and a country club with a golf course, right across the street from the new villas.
“They can walk to the club to play,” he added. “We’re thinking it will be the rental address in Williamsburg.”
The property is “developed” with curbs and gutters already in place, Ford said. Besides adding the new villas, Ford said they plan to expand the parking lot, too.
He added its currently zoned D multi-family residential use and both properties are approved for 74 units.
“And people will want to be one of the renters in these things because of what Ford’s Colony wants to offer,” Ford said. “We’re thinking the people who have the homes here…they can get rid of the big house and move into the villa, live a few years there and take their next step.”
“And of course there will be some young professionals here,” he added.
The purpose of the new villas is for people to rent in Ford’s Colony, see if they like living in the area and then buy a house.
“I’ve been after this property for two, almost four years,” Ford said, adding he was dealing with bankers to try and buy the property. “So they had their own bureaucracy to get though so it was a pretty complicated affair but we finally got it and we are happy.”
The lead architect on the project is Thomas “Tom” Tingle from GuernseyTingle in Williamsburg.
So far, they have a preliminary site plan and nothing “concrete.”
The villas currently have no name, but Ford hopes to name them the Villas at Ford’s Colony — but they have not “investigated it yet.”
If the site plan is approved, Ford expects to “break ground” in 2021.
“I just think it’s going to be a wonderful place for people to live,” Ford said, adding the residents would have the Ford’s Colony benefits at their doorstep. “Can’t beat the location.”
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