Planning to build a small town

[Sarah Brown]

Hi,
I've been planning to build a small town over the past five years... still planning. We were hoping to break ground last Spring, but then the economic bubble popped. Now we are starting over. I am thinking of starting over with a bigger focus on retirement and senior living, yet still including all of the village features, as well as family homes. Visit the website if you have time www.RuralVillage.org.

We also want to do more "green" things than our past location would allow. Also, does anyone have 50 -150 acres? We have 450 families and individuals from all over the USA, with all sorts of lifestyles, who have submitted applications because they love the idea and may want to move. We also built an English cottage at the Indy Home Show last winter.

Recently I have heard from many people getting ready to retire who are looking for à neat community.


I'd love to hear your ideas for shops, services, and green features.... or anything else that comes to mind.

[Matthew Maudlin]

Sarah,

I used to work for a local engineering firm and did a lot of work for clients all across the country (and even in the Cayman Islands believe it or not) who were creating traditional neighborhood developments. We helped them in various ways including marketing. We even had the opportunity to help promote a LEED certified development in Charlotte, NC.

I am no longer with that company, and since then, I and a fellow employee from there have started a local marketing firm and would love to see if there is any way we can help you "tell the story".

Please let me know if you think it makes sense to talk further.

Best of luck to you.

Matt Maudlin
Three Hats Marketing

[Sarah Brown]

Thanks for the note, keep in touch, as things get moving it would be good to talk more.

[Arlan Landey]

Sarah - One of my partners, Dennis Swanson, was once speaking with your husband about getting some investors together...in fact, Dennis not too long ago asked me if I knew of any, so I know that he is still interested. (I think that conversation took place over lunch when we all met together at the Flagship the last time)

We may be meeting on Saturday morning - I need to pick up some Tuscan-styled samples that I had them make for me for the winery in Washington State that we hope to be building...after I get approval on the "look" of the material. I'll bring up the subject once again with him when I see him.

He has been spending quite a bit of time in Iowa rebuilding his mother's house with Liberty Stone! If it becomes flooded again, it won't be damaged or grow mold or mildew! Not even in the insulation!

[Sarah Brown]

Let's get together when you and Dennis can. Josh has his computer business back in order, and we've paid off 75% of the dept from last year's failed attempt to build.. without a federal bailout! So we are ready to refocus, and start planning again.

Liberty Stone is the way to go these days!

[Pat Coyle]

Sarah,
I met yesterday with the East 10th St. Civic Assoc. Not sure if you've ever been down in that area, but I wonder if the village you plan to create might spring up from the infrastructure already present on the East side of Indy? Have you ever considered what it could look like if you planned a "little village" in an urban setting?

[Sarah Brown]

hmmm... How would the urban people feel about hens and goats in people's yards.... It's happens in Europe. There are many developments around the fring that have been left half started, we have thought about getting some land that another developer is walking away from because of the market crash. Thanks for the idea, Some aspects of our plan would be great in an urban area.