HEATH − Mike Purington moved into the third house built in the Linnview Crossing subdivision in 2009, expecting a couple dozen more homes to rapidly fill up the streets.
The Great Recession quickly halted homebuilding, giving him a more secluded environment than he ever could have anticipated.
Then, in January 2022, Intel announced plans to build a $20 billion (now $28 billion) computer chip manufacturing facility in Licking County, just south of Johnstown.
“This whole thing changed 2 ½ years ago when Intel announced,” Purington said. “Just a few weeks after they announced, crews were in here digging up basements. It was a constant stream of dump trucks and cement trucks.
“My biggest complaint now is there’s a lot more traffic. It was nice having almost nobody coming down here. I used to know anybody going through here. We’ve been really fortunate for 15 years. We always knew this was going to happen.”
The subdivision, between Second Street and Linnville Road in Heath, had about 10-11 homes when Intel announced, Purington said. Things changed in a hurry.
Construction on Linnview Crossing started in 2006. A second phase was engineered but never built due to the recession. There have been multiple builders in the subdivision through the years.
“There’s been some starts and stops to the houses to be built there," Heath Mayor Mark Johns said. "The finished subdivision will not be exactly like what was originally approved.”
Monticello Homes restarted homebuilding in Linnview Crossing’s 27-home Phase 1. Homes have been closing since April 2023, with the last one scheduled to close Thursday, according to Lauren Diepenbrock, sales director for Monticello Homes.
Monticello built and sold 15 homes in Phase 1, priced between $380,000 and $440,000, Diepenbrock said.
Fischer Homes recently announced it will build 21 single-family homes in Linnview Crossing’s Phase 2, on 8 acres north of Phase 1. The builder expects sales to begin this summer, with Phase 2 built out in one to two years.
“We are thrilled to be expanding into this growing area and are excited to bring affordable housing options to the community,” said Tim Brader, market president for Fischer Homes Columbus Division. “We expect considerable demand given the location.”
Brader said Fischer will continue the existing Phase 1 road, Francis Drive, alongside Purington’s house, into the Phase 2 development, and add a new cul-de-sac. Clearing of the land for Phase 2, behind Purington’s house, began a year ago.
“We enjoyed 14 years of nothing there,” Purington said. “Now, the wildlife, it’s all gone.”
The utilities are all in place for Phase 2, Brader said. The home sizes and styles will be very similar to those in Phase 1. Ten floorplans for single-family homes in two-story and ranch styles are available. The designs range in square footage from from 1,621 to 3,135.
“The addition of these homes will help a little bit with the housing pressure in our community,” Johns said. “I expect them to sell pretty quickly.
"In Heath, there is an attractive combination of a diverse employment base where individuals can find good-paying jobs, schools that do an outstanding job educating kids and a desire among residents to foster a wonderful sense of community. With the help of the Fischer Homes development in Linnview Crossing, more people are going to have that opportunity, and I think that’s exciting.”
Fisher Homes said pricing will be available and encourages interested buyers to join its VIP list by calling 614-610-4201, or visiting fischerhomes.com.
740-973-4539
Twitter: @kmallett1958
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