LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – An expansion at Kline’s Farm – a residential development just off state Route 193 that began two decades ago – stands to attract more than two dozen single-family homes to the Mahoning Valley, officials said Thursday.
“As we all know, we’re short of housing and there’s new housing demand,” said Jason Altobelli, real estate broker at Altobelli Real Estate, Niles, and the developer behind Kline’s Farm. “This project will allow for 32 single-family residential homes. We’re going to start a couple in the spring, both by contract and by spec.”
Altobelli, along with partner Home & Land Development LLC, is the lead developer on the project. Officials from the township, Trumbull County and representatives of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber joined stakeholders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 261 Potter’s Circle in Kline’s Farm, where new water, sewer and roadway infrastructure intended to serve the expansion was recently completed.
Altobelli said the expansion opens up approximately 9 additional acres for development at Kline’s Farm. The new infrastructure includes extensions of sewer, water, storm sewer, sidewalk, curb and roadways along Potter’s Circle. The expansion would add another $10 million in new housing stock and investment to the Mahoning Valley.
“It’s a phase that’s been in planning for about two years,” Altobelli said. “With the collaboration of local, state, county and township officials, we were able to put it together and get it installed and complete it today.”
Altobelli acknowledged there are some challenges in housing that’s caused demand to soften – elevated costs, for example – but he believes the market will adapt and the need for residential homes will remain steady.
“Costs are a concern, and costs have created some pullback in demand,” Altobelli said. “But I think the market stays strong if interest rates are adjusted a little bit. There are variables to that that I think will keep it chugging along.”
Homes in the Kline’s Farm development are priced, on average, between $200,000 and $450,000.
The expansion would also allow future planning toward the development of another 60 condominiums or villas in the development. “The expansion of public infrastructure to support new housing is essential and should be viewed as a top priority for our area,” Altobelli said.
Increasing housing stock in the Mahoning Valley is critical to the region’s growth, added Lyle Huffman, executive vice president of government affairs and community impact at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
“Expanding housing options is vital to the Valley’s long-term strength,” Huffman said. “When there is investment in attainable, well-planned housing, it supports our efforts to grow the population, strengthens the region’s economic competitiveness and advances the growth that keeps the Valley moving forward. We’re proud to support efforts that help the region grow and thrive. And we congratulate Jason Altobelli for his leadership in moving this project forward — a quality investment that reflects his commitment to shaping the future of the region.”
Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez said new housing developments such as Potter’s Circle are especially necessary as the region anticipates significant job creation in the future. “These communities are going to be much needed from what we’re going to see from Kimberly-Clark, we’re going to see with Foxconn, and what’s currently happening with Amazon in Bazetta.”
Kimberly-Clark is constructing a new $800 million manufacturing complex on Pine Avenue near Warren, while additional job growth is expected at SoftBank Corp.’s plant in Lordstown and its partnership with Foxconn, Hernandez said. Meanwhile, Amazon is building a new distribution center in Bazetta.
“We’re going to have a major explosion of jobs, but we don’t have the same explosion of homes,” Hernandez said. “This is a great thing, what these developers are doing.”
He cited efforts such as Valley Vision – a consortium composed of the Western Reserve Port Authority (serving as fiscal agent), Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, The Youngstown Foundation, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, Valley Economic Development Partners and Lake to River Economic Development – as a way to collectively attract new investment to the region.
The board of commissioners in both Trumbull and Mahoning counties contributed $500,000 apiece to help fund the effort, Hernandez said.
“Now what we’re working on is bringing developers in so that we can work with them,” he said. “We’re exploring a lot of different opportunities with developers.”
Pictured at top: Jason Altobelli, real estate broker at Altobelli Real Estate.