The entrance to the Riverwood Crossing housing development on Gibson Hill Road on May 25, 2025.
As you will have noticed if you have driven on Gibson Hill Road in North Albany, vertical construction started this month on Riverwood Crossing, the 80-lot “middle housing” development approved last year.
A bike ride Sunday took me up and down the new section of Laura Vista Drive south of Gibson Hill. The subdivision lots are lined up on both sides of this new street. I counted building sites numbered 27 through 101, so I don’t know if all 80 so-called “child lots” in the subdivision will be used.
Lennar, the developer, advertises the units in Riverwood Crossing as two-story town homes and duplexes.
All will have three bedrooms and two and a half baths. There are two models, one with 1,472 square feet and a bigger one with 1,767 square feet.
According to Lennar’s website, prices will start at $374,900 for the smaller model and $397,900 for the bigger one.
The website does not say when the first units are expected to be ready for sale and occupancy.
The Albany Planning Commission had originally appoved Riverwood Crossing as a conventional subdivision of 20-some lots. Then a new owner took advantage of changes the legislature had made in state land use law and converted the tentative subdivision into one with 80 much smaller parcels called “child lots.”
The change was appealed by two North Albany residents who were concerned about more traffic and other issues. But a referee confirmed the new subdivision layout. Lennar, a nationwide housing developer, took over the project later.
Whatever one might say about problems of urban development along roads not intended for such when they were laid out long ago, the designs and layouts shown on Lennar’s website show attractive and functional homes for people not interested in big yards or mowing the lawn. (hh)
Most of the numbered home sites, like these two, are still waiting for construction to start.
Nearly $400,000 each? What happened to ‘AFFORDABLE HOUSING/’
Wow a mere $255 per sq foot. Such a bargain
This most definitely will help with the homeless in the area..
For those criticizing the cost per square foot; I absolutely agree, however, what’s every more ridiculous is the remodeled 1950/60s houses of <1000 square feet that sometimes list for $400 per square foot.
Maybe I’ve just been around too many years, but I remember people complaining about housing being $25 a square foot. It appears that complaining isn’t the solution to high prices.
They are clearly abusing the laws created for low income housing. Not only are they not low income but they are basically just triplexes .Good thing the city has allowed so many storage units, fitness clubs and smoke shops. These “cubicle “houses have zero for yard area for kiddos that need to burn off some energy by playing or doing yard work. Kiddos are labeled as having ADHD when they are just “plug and play” without physical activity. People pay high prices for these houses then pay for storage units because there is no storage room, pay to go to hamster workout clubs to get some exercise rather than mowing their own yard then paying to get enough weed at the smoke shop to tolerate their horrible neighbors and misbehaving kiddos plus pay someone to mow a postage stamp yard or buy a lawnmower. It is amazing what we are willing to pay so much to give away our well being thinking it is the easy life. I guess that is why they want nonprofit shelters and group housing here too. Everyone can pay to “store” all the people who never got the chance to learn real life skills and are forced to live the “easy life”.
This is exactly what the Governor intended when she championed “Middle Housing”. Quadrupled densities and practically no setbacks. The state also prohibits any city from requiring off-street parking. And then, it is impossible to require a traffic analysis, even though more cars add to the problem on Hwy 20. It no longer seems to matter what the residents want. It is all up to the state.
Just wait until up to 2500 housing units are built on Hickory, thanks to the Governor’s “Climate Friendly Areas” initiative.
Oh wow. This is not Affordable Housing, this is Greed.
Pack them in like sardines. Sure, the area needs housing, but there does not seem to be a plan. And the RE is sorting in Albany and many other areas in US.
It would not be a surprise to see a price drop.
I never looked closely at this development or any other subdivision built around Albany.
But this was originally a 22 single-family home subdivision, changed to accommodate 80 townhouses instead.
Here is a link to what the 3 and 4-plex look like.
https://www.lennar.com/new-homes/oregon/willamette-valley/albany/riverwood-crossing/reagan
I’m not too familiar with 3+ plex housing. These are huge in square footage and only a single car garage, and you share at least one wall with your neighbor, and 2 and a half baths. Max profits and High taxes.