Large-scale development is planned for Belleville
By Doug Moore Of the Post-Dispatch
Thursday, Jun. 09 2005

Floyd Schlueter ended a six-generation run of growing apples, peaches and
blueberries at his family's orchard in Belleville to build what he says will be
quality of life not found anywhere in the Midwest.

It's Schlueter's take on New Urbanism, the catchphrase to describe a trend in
building compact, "self-contained" communities within a city. If fully
realized, his $2 billion project, to be known as Richland, would become the
largest residential development in the St. Louis area that combines
residential, retail and office space. The development, projected to take 20
years, is the first of its kind in Southern Illinois.

WingHaven in O'Fallon, Mo., and New Town in St. Charles are similar
developments. Boulevard-St. Louis, across from the St. Louis Galleria, and
Station Plaza, in Kirkwood, are often referred to as New Urbanism because of
the dense mixture of residential and retail.

Richland and Sugar creeks wind through the 1,900 acres in Belleville where
4,000 houses are planned. The property is filled with 100 acres of old strip
mine lakes stocked with bass, catfish and perch. An 18-hole golf course, seven
parks, a town center with shops, a private school and senior living facility
all are on tap. Conservation areas have been set aside. The development will
straddle the Belleville and Freeburg school districts.

The first phase will take three years and includes 583 homes with move-ins
scheduled for next spring. Developers are expected to select three to five
homebuilders within 90 days with construction to begin immediately on model
homes.

Schlueter and other members of his company, New Belleville Development Inc.,
had a groundbreaking Thursday to officially launch the ambitious project that
has struggled since the city annexed the property six years ago. Investors came
and went. Schlueter kept plugging away. Peoples National Bank and Regions Bank
now are backing the project.

Schlueter, 69, said he had no regrets about shutting down the orchard to pursue
the development.

"This has been a dream," Schlueter said. "I have a zest to make a better
place."

The first phase will hug Illinois Route 159 with commercial properties serving
as a buffer between the highway and homes. It will include streets with
patriotic names. The main drag will be America Boulevard. Ballot Street,
Election Avenue, Pilgrims Way and Bald Eagle Drive are among Richland's other
street names.

Other phases of the development will have streets named after American authors,
astronauts and aviators. The five-phase project is expected to be completed in
about 20 years. The northern part of the property where the orchard and the
Schlueter family home sits would be developed last.

The development abuts where the proposed Gateway Connector is to be built. The
41-mile highway would link Troy, Ill., to Columbia, Ill., and Interstate 255.
Supporters say the "outer belt" would open up development that has lagged in
the Metro East area because of the lack of accessibility to a major highway. (emphasis added)

St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern was Belleville mayor when he first
saw the plans for the Schlueter project in January 1998.

Kern and Schlueter met on a Saturday at a Denny's restaurant. Pancake syrup got
onto the plans, sticking them to the table. Kern remembers being impressed. The
year before, only 17 homes had been built in the city of 43,000.

"We needed to build more houses, and Floyd brought us this plan, and we were
excited," Kern said. "It's great to see this happening. It's been a long time
coming."

Starter houses will begin at $130,000. One-acre lots on a lake island will
start at $150,000.

It's on the island that Floyd and his wife, Carol, probably will build. But
like all happily married couples, they tend to disagree. And exactly which plot
of land they will put their name on is still under debate.

"I know what I want, and she wants something else. Who do you think will win?"
Schlueter said. Carol Schlueter raised her eyebrows slightly, smiled and walked
away.