Through the years, Estridge Homes has developed a number of successful neighborhoods in and around the Indianapolis area, including Serenade and Harmony, which include incredible architecture and traditional community amenities such as clubhouses, fitness centers, pools and playgrounds. While this has been a popular and successful model, when Estridge Homes began designing their newest neighborhood, Midland, they opted to go in a different direction.
“We wanted to make the neighborhood stand apart from others in the area,” says Clint Mitchell, CEO of Estridge Homes. He and his team traveled the country to visit other top-selling master-plan communities in Texas, California and Utah, to take note of their unique amenities, particularly as they related to the outdoors.
“Post-COVID, there’s been a huge push for outdoor living and outdoor social aspects, so that became our emphasis,” says Mitchell.
Midland was intentionally designed with a focus on three-fold connectivity – connection with nature through its prime location on the Midland Trace Trail; connection with neighbors through intentional architecture, floor plans and streetscapes; and connection with community via extensive amenities.
Midland is a large master-plan community, with varying price points and homes for different demographics. When the neighborhood is complete, it will have more than 500 homes.
“We try to develop home collections that would fit a variety of lifestyles,” says Devon Bloxom, director of sales and marketing with Estridge. “This includes the younger couple, the single person, the empty nester and the family. That’s how you build a diverse community where you have neighbors who are like you, but could be in a totally different stage of life.”
When it came to designing the homes, their idea was an urban and contemporary take on traditional architecture.
“We have some modern tudors, some modern farmhouses,” says Mitchell. “We brought in traditional architecture designs, combined with new materials and a modern twist. For the streetscapes, you’ll see a different color palette than you may see in other neighborhoods.”
The houses, which are fairly close together, all have front porches to give neighbors the opportunity to socialize with one another.
“We made sure to design homes with dedicated spaces for outdoor living,” Mitchell says.
They are building some homes with side yards, and later this year Estridge will be building homes on larger sites that will have bigger backyards. They will also build what they are calling their Terraces. These distinctive homes with several design options will have small, private yards, and are low maintenance so the neighborhood will care for the yards, snow removal, and upkeep.
“It’s a cute little enclave within the neighborhood that has outdoor space with every home, but is a bit smaller,” Mitchell says. “If you spend part of the year somewhere else, you can easily just lock up and leave.”
While Midland homes are built for connectivity, they also want to carve out space for solitude.
“Hoosiers like both – to be social and to have privacy; it’s not one or the other,” says Bloxom, noting that landscaping and hardscaping helps create privacy too.
Estridge has always been neighborhood-forward as opposed to house-forward.
“That’s the benefit of being a developer and a builder,” Bloxom says. “We very much care about how the sidewalks, landscaping and entrances feel, because that all integrates into the different events and amenities that we have.”
The central hub of the neighborhood is called The Station because it’s connected to the history of the Indiana railway, and all of the plans and home collections are built off of that. The Station, being primarily an outdoor space, provides connection to nature and has a prime location right on the Midland Trace Trail. That outdoor space will feature a playground, a stage for concerts, and, coming later this year, a beer garden.
Also forthcoming is a large pond and fishing dock, along with a dog park, fire pits, grills, pickleball court, playgrounds, two pools and kids’ splash pad.
There’s an outdoor grassy amphitheater area, which offers the perfect spot for supporting local businesses via farmers markets, food trucks and concerts.
“We plan to have local bands play there every weekend during warmer months,” says Bloxom. “We’ll provide continuous programming for the neighbors while also connecting our neighborhood to the broader Westfield community.”
That connection is made even easier since The Station is located on the Midland Trace Trail, which means people from other communities can bike or walk over to Midland to enjoy a concert or partake in whatever activities are being offered.
“It really catches your eye as you drive by,” says Mitchell.
Currently, Estridge is selling two collections of homes. By the end of the year, however, they’ll be selling six different home collections.
“I think people will really enjoy this neighborhood that’s absolutely the first of its kind in Westfield,” says Bloxom.
Estridge Homes is located at 645 West Carmel Drive, Suite 130 in Carmel. For more information, call 317-669-6200 or visit estridgehomes.com.
