Vacant lot south of post office will become urban project

Construction on a residential and commercial village in the vacant lot south of the Roop Street post office will begin by the end of the year, adding another high-density urban development to Carson City.

Carson City Senior Planner Jennifer Pruitt said Friday the city needs denser developments such as Toscana Village. The city planning commission approved the project's subdivision map and land-use change request this week.

"This is a mixed-use project," she said. "It has both residential and office space. That is a concept we support here in Carson City. Any time we can have a project where you can live and work in the same place is a positive addition to Carson City, and that's the basis of this project. They also added elements to increase pedestrian presence on the site, such as walking paths."

Toscana Village will contain 48 single-family attached units and six retail/office units around a 6,500-square-foot park, which includes a play area for children. The development is on 3.6 acres at the corner of Randell Drive and Figuero Way. The zoning was changed to allow neighborhood business within a planned unit development. The master plan designation for the area is high-density residential.

The six commercial units, about 4,500 square feet total, will be located along South Roop Street. Each of the 12 residential buildings will contain four homes. The residential space is about 47,200 square feet total. The parking is located in the center of the project and along the west and south edges.

"They put a lot of thought into the architectural elements," Pruitt said. "They're going to be nice earth-tone colors and they've proposed brick and stucco around the windows."

Eric Crisp, president of SC Development Inc. and co-owner of Toscana Village LLC, said construction will begin by November. Mark Duross is a partner in the company.

"We're looking to bring in two-bedroom condos for under $250,000 and then the three-bedroom condos will be $270,000 to $280,000," Crisp said Friday.

An estimated cost of construction is not yet available, said project planner Stephanie Hicks, of R.O. Anderson Engineering. Before construction begins Crisp must secure approval from the city on the improvement plans. Crisp said it should be completed by spring.

SC Development also built houses at Sixth and Nevada streets. Crisp said his company has a few projects also in the works, including residential and commercial space at the half block of Fleischmann Way, Division and Nevada streets. The company is also planning residential complexes on East Fifth and Long streets.

Sales for Toscana Village begin in October. Call SC Development at 246-3777 for information.

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.