West Side IC Co-Housing

Now here is something that should really make you go hmmm...

Here is the webpage of the Iowa City Co-Housing Group:

http://www.iowacitycohousing.org/

Here is what they have to say, this is the text of their welcome page:

Welcome

We are a group of local folks interested in creating a new housing alternative in Iowa City. We want to build a neighborhood based on the "cohousing" model which started in Denmark and has now spread worldwide. There are hundreds of cohousing communities in the U.S, Canada, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and elsewhere. We want the next one to be here in Iowa City.

Some background

We started meeting in 2009 to explore alternatives to traditional housing arrangements. We all share an interest in living in a community that reflects our values. We want a living arrangement that will allow us to reap the benefits of community life and still retain our privacy.
After a lot of reading and discussion, field trips, and consultation, we found the Danish cohousing model incorporated just about everything we were looking for:

• A multi-generational community
• Social and economic diversity
• Community and privacy
• Green buildings with a small carbon footprint
• Jointly-owned common spaces with shared resources
• Emphasis on alternative transportation

Our vision  

We want to design and build a community of about 20 eco-friendly residences clustered along sociable, pedestrian-only outdoor spaces, within a short walk of community gardens and green spaces. Each household will have a private kitchen as well as access to shared facilities in a "common house" with a large kitchen and dining area where we can cook together and share meals several times a week. We envision guest rooms there, as well as meeting spaces, and a shared workshop where we can swap tools and talents.

Where we are in the process 

We have purchased 7.8 acres of land with a view. It's located on the west side of the river just a mile and a half from downtown Iowa City, within walking/biking distance to campus. The site is near city and university bus stops.
We’ve done a lot of research and jumped through many of the legal hoops necessary to build a framework for the community. We are currently working with our architect to think through design decisions for the common house. Next we'll begin planning the private homes. Though our timeline is uncertain, we're currently working on a two-year trajectory—hoping to have homes ready to move into by 2015. More on what's been done.

Interested? Come join us!

If this sounds interesting to you, we would love to have you join us to learn more. We are seeking people who share our enthusiasm and are willing to invest the resources necessary to turn the vision into reality. Here's a link to information on how to get involved.

So if they have purchased 7.8 acres on the west side of the river a mile and a half from downtown they are almost as close in as University Heights. I'm really fascinated by this and will look forward to seeing how this project develops.