The old river city of Joliet is one of the metro area cities that has grown by expansion. Founded in 1852, the one-time steel town is the county seat of Will County. But the city today sprawls far west from its roots on the Des Plaines River to spill into neighboring Kendall County.
In this portion of far west Joliet, cornfields are giving way to massive new home developments, including the aptly named Lakewood Prairie by Lakewood Homes, based in Hoffman Estates.
This 324-acre clubhouse development is planned for more than 550 houses and 200-plus duplexes dubbed “country homes” by the builder.
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Since Lakewood Prairie opened for pre-construction sales in summer 2005, more than 100 homes have been sold.
The biggest floor plans were among the early sellers, attracting move-up buyers with growing families, several from other Lakewood developments.
“When my wife heard they had 4,000-square-foot houses, she wanted to move immediately,” said one buyer I encountered while touring the homes.
The largest of the models: the 3,573-square-foot Providence, priced from $289,990, and the 3,987-square-foot Ridgefield, priced from $304,990, are part of the seven-plan Executive Homes series.
The two houses are among the largest big-box homes I have ever seen. A three-car front-loading garage is standard. The first floor of the house wraps around one side and the back of the garage in an L-shape. The second floor gains added square footage from the space atop the garage.
Some care has been taken with trim, roofline and brickwork to make the exterior of the two large homes look like more than boxes. On the outside, the Providence model is the more appealing of the two; the interior is a floor plan available to shoppers from several builders.
The combined living and dining room next to the garage is about 15 by 23 1/2 feet. A powder room and coat closet behind the dining room is between the dining room and the kitchen.
The 12-by-14-foot kitchen opens to a 9-by-14-foot breakfast area that in turn is open to the 24-by-14 1/2-foot family room. Between the family room and the garage is a den, without a closet, and stairways at the center of the home to the second floor and the basement.
Going up, at the top of the stairs to the left is a large laundry room. It is next to the door to the corner master bedroom suite. In this plan, two walk-in closets and the master bath extend from one side of the bedroom across the back of the home. A sitting room or exercise area juts off the bedroom on the other side.
There are three secondary bedrooms, a secondary bath and an open corner area dubbed the second-floor family room. Shown with a wall of bookcases and a desk for computers, as well as a sofa and piano, this space is cozy–if somewhat awkwardly located. It could be enclosed for another bedroom if needed.
Walk into the largest of the plans–the four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Ridgefield–and the space and volume is impressive indeed.
The front door opens from a small covered porch into a 17-by-16 1/2 -foot living room that, except for one pillar, is open to the 17-by-10-foot dining room.
Above the sideboard on the back wall of the dining room is a mirror, usually a design device to make a room look bigger, but, in this case, totally unnecessary.
To the left of the dining room is a short angle hallway into the family room and to the kitchen, a coat closet and the stairway to the second floor.
The kitchen at 17 feet by 20 feet is big enough for a table and chairs in addition to the large island in the center of the room. There is a sizable corner pantry with a glass door and a built-in desk with drawers and storage on one wall. The refrigerator, range and double-basin corner sink are along one wall.
Adjacent to the kitchen is the 17-by-23-foot family room, shown with an optional fireplace. Separated from the kitchen by a half-wall, the sightlines in the two rooms are quite open and there is a huge feeling of space.
A 12-by-18-foot den/home office or bedroom is next to the family room, as is a powder room and mudroom, which leads to the garage.
Upstairs, a 17-by-23-foot second-floor family room is displayed as a home theater space, with an optional kitchenette. It could be converted to more bedroom space for a large family.
There also are three secondary bedrooms and a secondary bath . The master bedroom suite is across one end of the home over the garage.
At the front of this space is a sitting room shown with optional fireplace and built-in shelving. Behind the 16-by-20-foot bedroom at the back of the suite are his-and-hers walk-in closets and a bath.
As with most models, the interiors are shown with a number of upgrades.
As shown, the Ridgefield model would cost $443,240, nearly $140,000 more than the base price. The Providence floor plan is priced from $289,990, but the extras displayed in the model add about $111,000 more.
Buyers also may want to consider costs beyond the initial investment.
Is a 50-gallon water heater adequate for a home this size? What will be the cost of air conditioning and heating–especially with the 80 percent efficiency furnace I spotted in one model’s basement.
Consider, too, that these are large homes on open, flat land with years before any trees will be mature enough to provide some cooling shade.
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Executive Homes at Lakewood Prairie, Joliet
Base price range: $249,990 to $304,990
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FACTS AND FIGURES
Two-story houses with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, two or three-car garages
Square feet: 2,351 to 3,987
Monthly assessment: $32
Developer: Lakewood Homes
Web site: www.lakewoodhomes.com
AMENITIES
Partial basement, wall-to-wall carpeting, insulated double-pane glass windows and patio door, kitchen island, built-in pantry and breakfast area; vinyl tile floors in entry, kitchen and baths.
Community: Part of a 765-house and duplex development with clubhouse, walking and biking trails and parks.
GETTING THERE
Address: 7810 Lakewood Prairie Blvd.
Phone: 815-439-5777
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