There is a marble sign on Jim Stephens’ desk that says in gold letters: “Build a new road.”
It’s become the daily motto behind Avery Development Corporation and its successful residential communities which include Edgewater Townhomes in Fort Lauderdale and a planned, new waterfront community, Sun Harbor, just off the 14th Street Causeway in Pompano Beach.
“When people come to me and say something can’t be done, I tell them to ‘build a new road’,” said Stephens, Avery’s president. “I used to get puzzled looks from our people until they understood exactly what’s meant.
“I encourage my staff, suppliers and subcontractors to go through, around and over problems. We don’t want our people to abandon a good plan because a problem seems too tough. Build a new road means stick with the engineered concept and work around the problem. Do it better! Build a new road: It works.”
The trailblazing Avery Development Corporation has built a solid reputation as a builder of high-value, well-located townhome communities priced from the $60s to the $80s.
Avery has always had homes priced below the neighborhood competition because of economical large scale reinforced concrete construction. Adherence to high quality standards and initial tolerances that don’t require redoing have eliminated overtime during construction and have ensured bargain prices for Avery’s buyers.
So strong is the appeal, many homeowners camped out overnight to be among the first to own townhomes at the now sold-out Lakebridge Townhomes, and again they waited in line to own at Edgewater Townhomes, also close to sellout.
The new townhome community, Sun Harbor, Avery’s latest, is expected to be an even bigger success when it opens for sneak previews later this month. Sun Harbor will have over a quarter of a mile of sea wall along deep water, just 300 yards from the Intracoastal Waterway.
“Our philosophy for success has been to seek out locations where people really like to live, then build a quality home for an affordable price,” said Stephens. “That means a location east of I-95, convenient to shopping and downtown, close to the ocean, and in a waterfront setting.
“Lakebridge is on a lake; Edgwater is on the Middle River, and Sun Harbor has the ultimate. There will be more than 100 private boat slips at Sun Harbor situated on a quarter to a half-mile water frontage on the expansive Caliban Yacht Basin. Just 300 yards from Sun Harbor is the Intracoastal Waterway leading directly to Port Everglades or the Hillsboro Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean.
“For a boater this is the aquatic version of the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, and a moon landing.
“Sun Harbor is unique in another way. It’s the only new community that I know of — under $110,000 — where buyers are able to own their home, land and their own boat slip. Within 20 or 30 miles up or down the Intracoastal from Sun Harbor, the cost of a two-bedroom, 1/2-bath townhome with a dock is at least $250,000,” he said.
Edgewater Townhomes, located between Sunrise and Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, offers 102 New England-styled townhomes along Northeast 15th Avenue on the shore of the Middle River and across from Colohatchee Park. This development features rich sub-tropical landscaping, a riverfront boardwalk and water overlooks.
An easy mix of young professionals — both singles and couples — calls Edgewater home. With quick access to downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Galleria Mall and Parker Playhouse, it appeals to career-conscious buyers as well as the cultural and outdoors-minded.
The last group of waterfront townhomes at Edgewater is just being released for sale. Featured is Avery’s brand new two-bedroom, full 2 1/2-bath homes with an all new interior plan, the result of nearly a year of engineering and design. These refinements come from both having a goal and “building a new road,” the result of careful deliberation at Avery.
Extensive marketing surveys are conducted among hundreds of potential — and actual — townhome owners to see what features they particularly like and want. From these ongoing surveys emerged such things as the original Avery townhome master design featuring reinforced concrete construction.
Potential buyers said keep regular maintenance costs down. Avery “built the new road” developing and engineering a maintenance-free New England styled townhome outside and finished with plaster walls inside.
All monthly maintenance fees at Avery communities are under $50 per month, not because the builder subsidizes them, but because they are engineered that way. Over the past years, the maintenance fees have never been raised.
Give us space, said potential buyers. Avery did. Again, they “built a new road” and offered a storage space and recreation package that other townhome developers don’t offer, including a third-story walk-up attic with seven feet of ceiling height and a fenced rear yard that belongs to the purchaser.
Living space upstairs includes two master bedrooms each with a dressing area including sink, vanity, wall-to-wall mirrors and stage lights, plus wall length storage closets. Downstairs, the wide open floor plan says: South Florida lifestyle with a modern eat-in kitchen, bay windows, breakfast bar, dining room, living room, half bath, and fenced rear yard.
“Homeowners and would-be-homeowners told us they wanted normal extras included in the basic price of their home,” said Stephens. “It was a tall order. but right away, we started ‘building a new road.’
“We use ceramic tile, polished marble thresholds and marble windowsills. We even include upgraded, energy saving appliances: a laundry room with side-by- side washer and dryer, a double door refrigerator-freezer with automatic ice- maker, self-cleaning oven, sweep-top range, electric vent hood, garbage disposal and of course, a dishwasher. We find at most other townhomes either the flooring or the washer-dryer are not included in the homes.
“People were very emphatic when it came to owning their own space,” he continued. “Young people today are not condominium buyers. They wanted real ownership but didn’t want the drudgery of yard work. We listened.
“Today, all Avery homeowners own their own land — front and back yards — but they don’t have to do yard work. There is a service which takes care of all outside lawn work and landscaping, and if they leave the rear gate open, the back yard will be cut at no extra charge.
“Avery has built communities that offer splendid value. They are solid assets to those who own them and to the communities where they are located.
“It’s very satisfying to ‘build a new road’ and see people enjoying things that otherwise would never come to pass,” Stephens concluded.
