Del Webb to build homes at Somersett

Del Webb, which made its name with Sun City retirement communities in the desert, believes its future will be found closer to the mountains.

The company's plans to develop an 850-home community in west Reno's Somersett reflect its belief that aging members of the Baby Boom generation are more likely to seek homes closer to mountains than their desert-loving parents.

And the company doesn't use the word "retirement" to describe communities such as the active adult project it's calling "Sierra Canyon" in west Reno.

Del Webb, a unit of Pulte Homes Inc.

of Bloomfield Fields, Mich., said a few days ago it's contracted to buy 300 acres in the 2,372-acre Somersett project.

Judy Bennett, director of public affairs for Del Webb's northern California communities, said the company sees that many of those in the leading edge of the Baby Boom folks in their late 50s are seeking what she called "soft retirement." They're continuing to work, although they're often scaling back to part-time employment or seeking a less demanding job.

"The Baby Boomers aren't leaving work like their predecessors did," she said.

That means, Bennett said, that Del Webb is paying close attention to home offices and technological amenities as it begins planning homes in Sierra Canyon.

"They're a healthier, more active group all around," Bennett said of the 55- to 65-year-olds who will be targeted for the Reno development.

That's why the company decided to develop in Somersett, a master-planned golf course community.

Similar Del Webb communities in suburban Sacramento also include recreational facilities such as bicycle trails, indoor jogging tracks and softball fields that draw heavy use.

Because residents in Del Webb's active adult communities want to remain active in the workforce, Bennett said the economic spin-offs into the Reno area may be noticeable.

At the company's three projects in northern California, Bennett said, residents take on heavy loads of volunteerism and also have started numerous small companies to keep themselves engaged in the world of business.

"They make a huge difference," she said.

That's a perception shared by Chuck Alvey, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority of Northern Nevada.

"Studies have shown that retirees are great addition to the workforce, supporting temporary and seasonal assignments, and spending their disposable incomes by shopping and dining in the community," Alvey said.

Bennett said Sierra Canyon will be marketed equally to people looking to move to the Reno area as well as current residents seeking a new lifestyle.

Mark Kaushagen, division president and general manager for the developer, said potential buyers have expressed interest for some time.

"Webb has learned to trust its research and its homebuyers," he said.

"When the strong indicators are there, we begin an earnest location search to accommodate our customers."

The project is expected to be home to about 1,500 residents as Del Webb figures 1.8 residents per household live in its communities.

The communities, Bennett said, prove attractive to single people because of their built-in opportunities for social life.

The company expects to begin sales in late spring, with the opening of six model homes during the summer of 2004.

Elsewhere in Nevada, Del Webb has five master-planned communities in the Las Vegas area.

When it's built out, Somersett is expected to include 2,648 homes.

Currently, 62 families live in the community and another 200 homes are under construction.