Chelei Hill was excited when she heard about a new 750-home development in south Phoenix.

She was so excited, in fact, that she was ready at 6 a.m. one morning last July when the lots went on sale. And she was the first to purchase one.

"They were starting at a very reasonable rate, so I knew they were going to go quickly," said Hill, 32. "I've seen this area flourish and grow."

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The development, Copper Leaf at South Mountain Village, is exactly what the neighborhood wants, said Ken Lynch, spokesman for the Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department.

"As far as we can tell, it's the largest new subdivision in south Phoenix in modern history," Lynch said. "And it's a unique example of the community working together with neighborhood services and the developer."

The Target Area B Citizen's Advisory Board, made up of area neighbors, came up with the idea for a large housing development at 24th Street and Roeser Road.

"The advisory board is really interested in what's happening in the area, and we'd like to work toward positive growth," said Barbara Barnes, a board member who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years.

Then the city took the ball and ran with it, Lynch said.

"We assembled the 103 acres, we took care of zoning variances and did some of the work developers usually have to do," he said.

Then Trend Homes came on board and began working with the community to create something the neighbors could appreciate.

Now the city, the developer and the community are celebrating the sale of the 100th home. The homes range from townhouses to larger single-family homes, costing from about $144,000 to more than $300,000.

"There was a lack of new housing that was in a range of incomes," Lynch said. "People who were interested in staying in the neighborhood where they grew up had very few housing options that appealed to them."

This was the case for Hill, who moved to Mesa after college. Now she'll live one mile from her sister and two miles from her parents, who have lived in their home for 30 years.

"This is where I'm from. This is my neighborhood," Hill said. "I feel so comfortable and back at home."

And she'll be only three miles from work.

"I don't have to fight the (Loop) 202 anymore," she laughed.

The development will have five mini-parks, two community swimming pools and hiking paths. There will be no walls, allowing the area to transition into its surrounding neighborhood. Construction will be complete on some of the homes by fall.



Reach the reporter at meghan.moravcik@arizonarepublic.com.