Type: Townhouse condominiums

Units: 8

Unit size: 2,800 square feet

Developer: Greatland Development

Details: A builder in Savage has won approval of its preliminary plans to develop an upscale townhouse project near Prior Lake High School.

Greatland Development got the unanimous backing of the Savage City Council this month for a three-building block of townhouses north of 150th Street, just north of the high school's grounds. Two of the buildings would contain three units and the third would hold two for a total of eight units overall.

The 1.8-acre lot was once slated for a six-unit townhouse effort called Swanson Farms. It was approved in 2007 but was never constructed, and the land has remained vacant since.

Under the plans submitted by Greatland, the three-bedroom units would be two stories each with the option for a third-story, two-bedroom dormer that could serve as an "in-law" suite. They would be roughly 2,800 square feet each and would sell in the $350,000 range.

Design materials include vinyl siding, cultured stone accents in the front, decorative windows and garage doors to provide architectural flourishes.

Greatland vice president and co-owner Tom Brenner said the two-unit building would be constructed first in the northeast corner of the lot, also serving as a model home, with the others constructed as they are sold. He touted their design flexibility, which answer a market need for homes that can appeal to nontraditional family structures, such as single parents or extended families.

Greatland told the city it is targeting a spring construction start.

Don Jacobson is a St. Paul freelance writer. He can be contacted at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.