F EAT U R E DEVE LOPMENT B Y G ARTH BISHOP
Evans is a Place on Earth New Urbanism-focused community features multiple unique Parade homes
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resident-organized Independence Day parade. A post office that doubles as a neighborhood hangout. Plans for a speakeasy behind the local ice cream parlor. Taken individually, these items may not be immediately indicative of uniqueness. But collectively, these neighborhood elements – along with dozens of others, from an agricultural center to a fishing derby in regularly stocked ponds – help to illustrate a neighborhood propelled by a mission to thoroughly distinguish itself in central Ohio and beyond. Evans Farm should be familiar to avid visitors to the BIA Parade of Homes: It was the site of the 2019 Parade. But anyone who visited the neighborhood in 2019 can expect a truly impressive evolution in 2021 as they check out the six homes on this year’s Parade. The 1,250-acre community in southern Delaware County will encompass 2,200 single-family homes, as well as hundreds of apartments and townhomes, when complete. It will also feature
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2021 BIA Parade of Homes | BIAparade.com
retail businesses, restaurants, a bank, police and fire substations, a retirement community, a recreation center, a sports park and an elementary school. It’s designed in the new urbanism style, which means a heavy focus on the principles of city design: walkable streets, accessible public spaces, nearby shopping and housing. All garages front on alleys rather than the main streets, adding to the community’s walkable character, says Evans Farm developer Dan Griffin. Griffin draws particular attention to the small lots and closer proximity to neighborhood amenities, not to mention neighbors themselves. He speaks with deep reverence of frequent conversations with neighbors, evenings outside the post office that has become a gathering spot, business owners and real estate agents deciding to move to Evans Farm after first discovering it through work. One resident even bought a second house and rents it to people who are building their own homes in the neighborhood, he says. “It’s incredible to see the atmosphere,” says Griffin.
Residents have organized a number of community events, including a tribute to local first responders, a flag-raising ceremony featuring a team of bagpipers and – mere days before the Parade kicks off – a classic car show. Griffin expects to continue to see residents playing an active role in the community’s evolution. Cua Builders Lewis Center isn’t particularly close to any widely renowned beaches, so Cua Builders’ contribution to the 2021 Parade brings the beach to it. The house has a soft nautical theme and a Southern living vibe, says company President Tom Cua. “The house actually was in a movie with Jennifer Garner called Miracles from Heaven,” Cua says. The house’s most noticeable feature may be its colossal porch. Evans Farm places an emphasis on outdoor living spaces and connections among neighbors, and the Cua home’s porch certainly fits the bill. It’s a wraparound porch, going from the front of the home to the rear, with four different doors having access to the screened back portion.
