GALESBURG, Illinois -- A former horse farm will become Galesburg's first housing subdivision in two decades.
"We need jobs in Galesburg," said developer Mark Kleine. "We need people to come to Galesburg."
That's inspiring plans for Lincoln Park Estates.
It's a $1.4 million project that includes city incentives of $450,000.
It's located on 18 acres near Galesburg's Lincoln Park and Bunker Links Golf Course.
The investment aims to reverse a disturbing trend in Galesburg.
"We average building one to two homes a year," Kleine said. "There just isn't choice for new housing."
This project will offer choices; 26 lots are evenly split between houses and townhomes.
Townhomes will start at $200,000, and homes will begin selling at $250,000.
"The Galesburg market -- we're not the Quad Cities. We're not Peoria. We have to keep it affordable," Kleine continued.
Since Galesburg only recorded a handful of housing starts during the past few years (and none in 2015), this project becomes even more important.
It's a way to gradually grow the population in this city of roughly 32,000.
The goal is to keep families working and living there.
"It's one thing to have good paying jobs in your community," said Ken Springer, president of Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development. "But if these folks are leaving at the end of the day and traveling to another community where they live, they're going to be taking their paychecks with them."
Kleine plans to begin building in August.
The first four units could be ready for families by Spring 2017.
They'll continue building for up to seven years at the site.
"I hope it sends a message that Galesburg is making changes," Kleine said. "Galesburg is growing."
Work on streets and services should begin in a few weeks.
Galesburg will recoup its investment gradually through taxes.
It's the kind of project that can inspire more development.
"I'd love to see it snowball," Springer said. "I'd love to see more housing starts. It's something that the city really needs."
Building the Lincoln Park Estates should be a good first step to solving a decades-old problem in Galesburg.
"It stimulates people to take a look at Galesburg," Kleine concluded.