A place to live and work

Over 175 acres of land targeted for housing development

PYMATUNING TOWNSHIP – A local organization best known for its industrial real estate ventures is leaping into housing development – and not for the first time.

“I don’t think you can say we ever left housing development,’’ Brad Gosser, executive director and vice president at Greenville-Reynolds Development Corp. said. “It’s just never been the top priority for us.’’

With a severe local housing market shortage, Greenville-Reynolds is giving its available residential land a marketing boost, Gosser said.

“It’s not just our area that lacks housing,’’ he said. “It’s all over Mercer County.’’

The non-profit agency has over 175 acres of land reserved for residential use. Along with homes, much of the land can also be used for apartment or condominium development. One developer has already bought land from the group with plans for a housing development, Gosser said.

Greenville-Reynolds has no plans to be a residential contractor to build the homes. But it does want to entice developers to take on that role.

Founded in 1951, this isn’t the organization’s entrance into housing development. Much of the neighborhoods near the industrial park are located on land once owned by the group that was sold to developers who bought the properties and built the homes, Gosser said.

“We had camped here for 12 years and just loved it,’’ Macfarlane said. “There’s a lot to do here. You just have to look for it.’’

Further, they bought a house sitting on four acres at a good price. Getting that much land would be far costlier in other areas, he added.

All of the property is in Pymatuning Township, which falls in Reynolds School District.

“Over the years we’ve gotten calls from people with families wanting to buy a house in the Reynolds School District,’’ Gosser said. “The district has an excellent reputation.’’

Also, Mercer County is a low cost-of-living area with enjoyable countryside, he added.

And those two reasons are why Chris Macfarlane and his wife settled in the area three years ago from a Pittsburgh suburb. Macfarlane, 49, is Greenville-Reynolds’ facilities engineer.

The residential development information is in Greenville-Reynolds newly-updated website. The website was created by Dora Richards, the organization’s finance manager, and Lisa Brickle, billing and collection supervisor.

More marketing is on the way, Gosser said.

“I always say the future of anything is to educate people,’’ he said.