(Arnolds Park)– A newly formed partnership would help a golf course expand while bringing some additional housing to the Iowa Great Lakes. Drew Hage of the Spirit of Okoboji says they’re working in tandem with Randy Rohlfsen and the Emerald Hills Golf Course on the Emerald Estates Project. He says it includes an expansion of the golf course along with a new residential development on 38 acres of land between the golf course and the Lower Gar Recreational Area…
“We’re looking at 97 lots, right around there, right now. This is still a preliminary plan, working with builders to get additional feedback, working with our team to finalize those plans. We’ll be bringing something to the city, which we’ve been developing that plan with them throughout the process.”
Hage says work on the golf course expansion could get underway late this summer or early fall…
“So it takes approximately a year to create some new golf holes and we will be maintaining 18 holes throughout that whole time, so there’s no concern there for members and others that like to enjoy Emerald Hills, again working with the Emerald Hills team and with that start maybe the end of August, early September and then it takes about a year to build a golf hole. Residential will be kind of a similar timeline. Definitely taking inquiries now on lots, so if someone wanted more information regarding Emerald Estates they can contact me and have information on the Spirit of Okoboji website there so they can contact me that way and then I can share more information, share a draft layout and have some conversation on what they’re looking for.”
He adds the project is a bit different in another way…
“One thing that we’re doing that’s a little bit more unique with this development is we are trying to work with builders to do larger sections of lots so a builder could take a section and we’ll be splitting off larger sections that way but there’s still opportunities for anyone to look at the project.”
Hage says addressing the need for additional housing in the area is major focus of the Spirit of Okoboji group…
“Part of what we’re looking at with Spirit of Okoboji is having that transmissional impact on the Okoboji region, doing that with kind of a mixed unit development, this being just single family with Emerald Estates, but we also have property out in Milford, still looking to do development on the property in Milford. There could be five or six different tiers of housing in Milford, so you could really target some workforce housing on some of that property, getting a variety of lots is a good thing for the area. That’s part of what we’re looking at is trying to support businesses and bringing in that year-round resident and offering more for people who are here year-around so you have additional amenities but some things that can draw in people.”
You can find more information at spiritofokoboji.org or by visiting their Facebook page.
