By Susan Elise Campbell
The second phase of Oak Ridge, a luxury housing development nestled between Saratoga Lake and Saratoga Race Course, will be constructed by Beechwood Homes under the leadership of founder Mike Dubb and his son and partner, Steven Dubb.
The project will add 53 homes with prices ranging from $850,000 to $2 million-plus. After 35 years building thousands of single-family homes downstate, this is Beechwood’s first project in the Saratoga area.
The subdivision’s original developer was J. Snyder Builders, who approached Dubb about continuing the project Jeff Snyder had started with 40 homes.
“Jeff Snyder created a community that embodies what old Saratoga feels like, and picking up where he left off was an opportunity for me to build on that vision,” said Dubb.
What makes the “old Saratoga” style so beautiful, Dubb said, is “Victorian architecture, large porches, and interesting roof lines. More importantly, you don’t see garages at these homes because they predated the automobile,” he said. “All the garages at Oak Ridge homes are in the back of the property or are detached, which makes a big difference in the look of the community.”
Phase Two homes will sit on three different lot sizes with corresponding home designs. Alley Lots are 2,000 to 3,000 square feet with garages accessible from an alley in back. This style is intended for down-sizers or empty-nesters, or couples starting out with no children yet, according to Dubb.
Wood Lots are one-third to one-half acre. No garage is visible from the street. Ridge Lots are a full acre perched on the highest elevation in the development, and at 6,000 square feet can accommodate five or six bedrooms, he said.
An avid horseman who had been visiting the race track since high school, Dubb said for decades he had watched Saratoga Springs transform as “a beautiful town that incorporates smart growth principals. I admired this transformation from afar as the Beechwood Organization built homes downstate,” said Dubb. “When I was asked to look at Oak Ridge, I did not go into it with high expectations” for starting any project in Saratoga.
However, Dubb recognized the demand for quality homes among several key markets.
“People have a desire for more rural living and some find their housing needs have changed,” he said.
He said residents of downstate New York and New Jersey want a better life in a community “not so dense” as the suburban areas they live in now. Moreover, the trend in second home and vacation home construction continues on an upward trajectory in Saratoga county.
Oak Ridge may not be the only development in Beechwood’s future. Dubb said he is keeping his eyes open for other properties.
He is also in the process of building a day care center at Saratoga Race Course that will be viewable from Union Avenue and opened next summer, he said.
It was after he built his first day care center downstate at Belmont Park, he “thought it would be fun to own race horses.” Today, Dubb is a seven-time leading horse owner at Saratoga Race Course as well as a board member of NYRA.
Learn more about the Beechwood Organization at www.beechwoodhomes.com.