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Apr 7, 2009 3:57 pm US/Central
Cities Dealing With New Home Construction Slowdown
Arezow Doost
ANNA (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Some North Texas cities are feeling the recession pinch as the construction boom years disappear. The City of Anna was once one of the fastest growing communities in Collin County, but the new home construction boom has come to a halt -- for now.
Anna city leaders aren't waiting for the real estate market to turn around; the farming community is now turning to commercial development to thrive.
Given that some residents want their peace and quiet back, the drastic halt in construction wasn't all bad news. "There were less than a thousand people when we got here and now I don't know how many thousands there are," said longtime Anna resident Sonny Brayton. The City of Anna now has a population of more than 8,000.
After a while, Brayton said, he got used to the sound of booming construction, but now there are no hammers pounding. Many homes that are under construction have been abandoned with the work only half finished.
"Things are just slower. They are slower in Anna; they are everywhere," explained Anna City Manager Philip Sanders.
At the height of the new home construction boom, during 2005 and 2006, there an average of 50 permits were issued each month in Anna. So far in 2009, there have only been two permits issued.
Brayton isn't too upset about the construction slowdown. "Personally I like the wide open spaces," he said.
"We built at the back of our housing addition. We are the very last street and the very last house," explained resident Carla Besco, as she watched home builders slowly disappear. "I thought 'Oh no,' but now I feel like I live in the country--but have an amenities center and nice subdivision."
But construction isn't all gone in Anna. The City Manager says while most new home builders have left, that's not the case for commercial developers. "We've got four commercial retail centers under construction," said Sanders. In the next few months several stores and restaurants are slated to open.
While some residents hope the community keeps its 'small town' feel, others want to see Anna thrive and are willing to give up a little peace and quiet for it. "In five years I will be going further out in the country," explains Brayton. "But Anna will grow up like all other suburban towns."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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