This townhome under construction on the north side of Fairfield is the first of 11 buildings that will comprise North Campus Ridge, a joint venture of Vastu Partners LLC and DRB Contracting. The new housing development is going up just east of Reiff Grain. (Andy Hallman/The Union)

FAIRFIELD – Construction has begun on a new housing development on the north edge of Fairfield.

The development is known as North Campus Ridge, and though it’s just a stone’s throw from the similarly named North Campus Village, the two housing developments will not be connected by a road.

North Campus Ridge is being built on land just east of Reiff Grain along Highway 1 north of Fairfield. Once finished, the housing development will include 37 units in 11 buildings (nine triplexes and two five-plexes). The development is a joint venture between Vastu Partners LLC and the construction firm DRB Contracting.

Martin Brett, owner of Vastu Partners LLC, said this development required purchasing the land from the prior owner, Dave Reiff, and securing a Brownfields Development Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The grant, which was between $900,000 and $1 million, will go toward the demolition of all the buildings that now comprise Reiff Grain, such as removing its grain silos, tanks and all machinery.

Brett announced last year his intention to build a new housing development on that land if he could get a grant to defray the cost of demolition, and later that year he learned that his application for a Brownfields grant was successful. The property officially changed hands in December 2023, though Brett said that Dave Reiff can remain at the property through July 1.

“He’s selling off his equipment and inventory in an unhurried way,” Brett said.

Vastu Partners LLC purchased 16.8 acres from Reiff Grain. In early March, Doug Bachar and his firm DRB Contracting began construction on the first of the 11 buildings planned for the site, and its frame and roof are already up. The new building is set back far enough that it’s not visible from Highway 1, but it is visible from the southwest corner of Opal Lane within the North Campus Village housing development.

Brett wants residents to know that the entrance to the new North Campus Ridge will be from Highway 1 only, and even though the development directly abuts North Campus Village, he is not going to connect the two housing developments with a road.

The public might think of Brownfields grants as being used to clean up toxic sites, but Brett said they’re not limited to cleaning up toxic waste, and in some cases they’re used to clear a parcel of land that is inhibiting possible development, which is the case here.

“They want to see that they have jump-started development,” Brett said of the EPA. “Most of this is just grain, straw, stuff in bags. It’s not a toxic site, it’s just a big expensive site to redevelop.”

This parcel of land is not in the city of Fairfield, but Brett plans to change that by asking the city to incorporate this land into the city limits.

“We’re working with French-Reneker-Associates on getting our sewer and water plans, and as soon as it comes into the city and annexation is completed, we’ll work with the city on our subdivision approval,” Brett said.

Brett said he’s exploring options for how to demolish the silos since they’re so large. He said there are different schools of thought on the matter, with some people preferring to knock down the silos at their base, while some specialized companies prefer to take them down piece-by-piece from the top.

“We’re looking into all of those options,” Brett said. “We likely won’t start on anything until Dave is out of there on July 1.”

The configuration of this development – nine triplexes and two five-plexes – is different from what Brett initially envisioned in 2023 when he proposed 35 total units with only one five-plex. He said the thing that changed his mind was the surprising demand for the smaller units in the five-plexes, and that’s why he is going to build two of them.

“The five-plexes are much smaller units, like one-bedroom units, in the $140,000 range,” Brett said. “We were surprised at the interest in that, so we decided to make room for another one. For some reason, those units are becoming more popular.”

When Vastu Partners LLC began the housing development North Campus Village over two decades ago, two-story homes were the most sought-after commodity. Today, that has changed, and one-story homes are in high demand, and that’s why Brett is making all of these new 37 units in North Campus Ridge one story. He said 18 of the 37 units have already been sold.

“It’s not that we will never again build two-story homes, it’s just that we only had room for [37 units] and these are the ones people wanted to get their down payment on,” Brett said. “I still think there’s a market for two stories, but not as much as for one stories.”

The units in North Campus Ridge, just like those in North Campus Village, are intended for people with a connection to Maharishi International University. The university has contracted with Vastu Partners LLC to do all the purchasing, annexation, subdividing and utility installation necessary for a housing development.

“Right now, the university has an option to buy half of it, which they will likely exercise once they’ve raised the funds,” Brett said. “They have plans to build a dormitory there. I’m going to take the eastern 8 acres, and they’re taking the western 8 acres. It will feel very separate, a whole different compound.”

Brett said the university is still in the planning stages for its portion of the development. Meanwhile, Vastu Partners LLC and DRB Contracting will be hard at work building homes on the eastern portion of the lot. Brett said he expects a new building to go up every six weeks to two months, and that the whole development should be finished by June 2026.