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50 Years of Quality Construction
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Home Builders Association
of Dayton
News from Charles H. Simms
Simms Celebrates Grand Opening of
Patterson Square Model Home
December 6, 2011--Charles Simms Development held a gala ribbon cutting at Patterson Square, a brand new Townhome community in Downtown Dayton. With ten of the eighteen urban-styled townhomes already sold, Patterson Square is the most successful new home community in Downtown Dayton.
"There is a demand for stylish, high quality housing in the downtown area," Simms said. "Dayton is growing, and we are proud to be part of that growth."
Pictured above and joining in the ribbon cutting are, from left: Simms Chief Field Superintendent Mark Perkins, project architect Alex Luque of Atelier Design, Charlie Simms, Citywide Development CEO Steve Budde, First Financial Bank President Roger Furrer, and Dayton Assistant City Manager Shelley Dickstein.
Grand Opening of Two New Decorated Model Homes
August 2011 saw the curtain rise on two gorgeous new decorated model homes at Simms communities. The first, pictured below, is located in Twin Lakes West at 1789 Placid Drive. The Erie features exciting urban updates such as exposed brick and open truss ceilings on the living level. Check out the Twin Lakes West home page for floorplans, directions, and a video tour of this breathtaking new model home.
The second new model home, pictured below, is located in the Highlands at Yankee Trace, at 10006 Sand Wedge Drive. The Augusta features a large gourmet kitchen, covered porch that may be enclosed for year round living, ground floor master suite, versatile loft room, and a large bonus room that may be converted into a fourth bedroom with private bath, or into a rec room with wet bar. Visit the Highlands home page for more photos, directions and floor plans.
More Living Downtown as Revitalization Efforts Pay Off
Exterior Elevation of Patterson Square
Empty-nesters, families with young children drawn to townhomes, lofts, condos, apartments.
The Patterson Square Condominiums will be the first foray into downtown housing for Simms, who said he’s built more than 2,000 condominiums and apartments in the suburbs during the last 25 years.
He said the market led him to give the urban core a try.
“We did our market analysis,” Simms said. “There’s definitely nationally a surge toward back to the urban core, especially amongst younger people. read the entire article
Downtown Housing Project In Works
18 Single-Family Units Planned Near Ballpark
by Ginger Christ DBJ Staff Reporter
T
he Dayton Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/
February 25, 2011--The downtown Dayton corridor near Fifth Third Field may land another housing development.
Charlie Simms, owner of Dayton-based Charles Simms Development, is looking to build an 18-unit, single-family townhome complex near the ballpark.
The development, referred to as Simms Condominiums Patterson Square, would be located at First Street and Patterson Boulevard. The condo project would include four buildings, two of which would have six units and two that would have three units. The three-story buildings would feature garages and balconies.
Patterson Square would be built on vacant land north of Canal Block — a condominium project on Patterson Boulevard being built by Litehouse Development Group and the newest housing development downtown.
The Simms project remains in the planning stages but was approved Feb. 15 by the city planning board is ready to move forward once financing is secured, said Tony Kroeger, principal planner for the city.
Kroeger said Patterson Square is a good development because it would help increase housing density downtown.
“If you don’t have housing downtown, you won’t have full vibrancy,” he said.
The estimated condo prices were not disclosed.
Simms said he has received some of the necessary approvals for the project but not all approvals needed. He said he is hopeful the project will move forward and is working hard to see it come to fruition.
Simms, who in the past primarily has worked in suburban areas, developed The Highlands of Yankee Trace, a single-family condominium project in Centerville; Maple Run, a ranch-style home development in Washington Township; and Twin Lakes West, a Townhome development in Washington Township.
Home Builders Association of Dayton
Presents Simms Family with Industry Pioneer Award
January 31, 2011-- At the recent Dayton Home Builder’s Association Annual Inauguration and Awards Dinner, The Awards Committee has returned an award created in 2005 and last given in 2008 – The HBA Industry Pioneer Award.
As he presented this year’s award to the Simms Family, Walt Hibner, Executive Director of the HBA of Dayton said, “With their longstanding and rich home building history and four HBA Past Presidents, I am honored to present the 2010 HBA Industry Pioneer Award to the Simms Family.”
The Simms’ history goes back six generations to the early 1800's as Alexander with no middle name arrived in Dayton, put down roots and started one of Dayton’s earliest banking institutions.
His grandson, Charles Harries, was a builder, banker, and farmer that allowed the Orville and Wilbur to fly their new flying machine off his fields near Huffman Prairie. Besides all this, he sold a small news paper to someone with the last name of Cox. Given his appreciation of the game of golf, he was also one of the founding members of Dayton Country Club.
In the early 1940’s, his son, William Alexander or Alex, was among the small group of dedicated builders including Joe Haverstick who founded the Montgomery County Builders Association. Alex built hundreds of houses and developed hundreds of lots. He was President of the HBA of Dayton in 1952 and was also active with National Association of Home Builders.
His two sons, Charles and Bill, continued the tradition of developing and building hundreds of homes, apartments and communities. Both have been extremely active in the HBA of Dayton and held every leadership and committee chairs over the years.
And their two sons, Charlie and Mike, have carried on with their condominium and custom home building tradition founded by their fathers and their fathers before them. Charlie and Mike are both Past Presidents of the HBA of Dayton and continue to be actively involved in the association.
To ensure the next generation continues, Charlie and Mike each have four sons that surely will keep the Simms name working hard to build homes for families of the greater Dayton area.
Town homes and patio homes are longtime company's special niche
by Ken Mosier for Home Building Plus, Dayton Daily News, 03/27/10
Charlie Simms is a fourth-generation builder in the Dayton area, and his company, Charles Simms Development, is second-generation itself.
"I bought it from my father. So we have been in business for 52 years," he said.
Simms has carved out a niche in the town home and patio-home market. The company is building in four communities: The Highlands at Yankee Trace, Twin Lakes West and Maple Run - all in the Centerville/Washington Twp. area; and Cinnamon Ridge in Beavercreek.
"We basically have two communities that are for first-time and move-up town home buyers and two communities that are more geared toward emptynesters that have the ranch floor plans and the first-floor master (bedroom suite)," Simms said. "Within the four communities, we have eight different floor plans."
Simms has 20 market homes. He noted that the homes may qualify for the federal home buyer tax credit.
"They have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30 and close by June 30," he explained. "We definitely have homes to accommodate the people (wanting the tax credit.)
"Most of our buyers need their homes in 30 to 90 days," he continued. "So we have to have them built and ready. We always have quite a bit of standing inventory."
Being a market home doesn't mean a buyer can't add personal touches.
"We normally stop at the drywall (stage), and then we allow people to pick all their interior finishes, including all flooring, cabinets and countertops," Simms said.
He noted that standard features in his homes include volume (vaulted) ceilings, recessed lighting, oversized windows and patio doors.
"Our communities are all in great locations with very functional floor plans - there is no wasted square footage," he said.
Simms' Web site (www.simmsdev.com) has locations of each community, its model and hours, a photo gallery, video and information about each of the floor plans and communities. The site also lists any specials that the company is running.
Basic prices for the town homes start at $149,900 in Cinnamon Ridge (two bedrooms with loft) to $154,900 for a three bedroom home in Twin Lakes West. Basic prices for a three-bedroom patio home in Maple Run start at $224,900, and a three-to-four bedroom home in The Highlands at Yankee Trace starts at $249,900. Square footages range from 1,658 square feet for one of the Maple Run models to 2,616 square feet at Twin Lakes West.
Charles Simms Development is an Energy Star Builder.
"We have gone to a 92-percent, high efficiency gas furnace, and we are putting in insulation above the codes," he said. "We put R-19 instead of R-13 in the walls and we have R-38 instead of R-30 in the ceilings."
Simms refers to the home-buying process with his company as "one-stop shopping."
"People can come in - with or without a Realtor - and we have all the paperwork there. They can apply for a loan right in our model, and our (finish) selections are there in the model.
"When the home is ready to close, I personally do the walk-through with the home buyers - I have done over 2,000 of them in the last 25 years, " he said.
Each home has a 1-year warranty on everything.
Charles Simms Receives 2009 McDaniel Zengel Award
Charles H. Simms received the 2009 McDaniel Zengel Award for a lifetime of contributions to the homebuilding industry, the Greater Dayton community, and the HBA of Dayton and the Miami Valley. The annual inaugural dinner was held on February 7, where Karl Zengel presented Charlie with one of the highest recognitions given by the Homebuilders Association.
Charlie has just completed his term as President of the Ohio Home Builders Association, during which he worked hard to advance and protect the interests of the local homebuilding industry. Charlie was also President of the Dayton HBA in 1999.
Charles Simms Development Receives Highest Rating
The Dayton Area Better Business Bureau has given Charles Simms Development an A+, their highest rating. A BBB Accredited Business since 1987, Simms has met the highest standards for accreditation from this independent consumer watchdog agency. For more information about The Better Business Bureau and Simms Development, click on the link below. http://dayton.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=51&bbb=0322&firm=1384
Charles Simms Development Corp. Partners with Energy Star
The US Environmental and Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy have recently recognized Charles Simms Development Corporation as an Energy Star Builder.
The Energy Star Program helps consumers, businesses, and public organizations protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Energy Star for Homes promotes energy-efficient homes that improve home quality and homeowner comfort, lower energy demand, and reduce air pollution.
By submitting newly constructed homes to a stringent environmental test, Simms has demonstrated the highest level of energy efficient construction standards.
"We are very proud to be a part of this new national program," President Charles H. Simms said. "We are going to put the Energy Star on every new home we build. Hopefully, all of our new home owners will spread the word about saving energy and its long term positive effects for our planet. "