Water's Edge has the endorsement of Idaho Smart Growth Community as a result of winning their annual Grow Smart award in the Mixed use category. Water's Edge will have the lowest energy consumption of all developments in the state.

Water's Edge
Developer: Steven Ribeiro A

Total Lots in Community: 305
Total Dwelling Units- 395
*Includes apartments, townhomes, live/work condos, Signature cottage homes, and 112 single family detached homes

Lot Sizes: from 0.91 Acres
Note: 43,560 ft² per Acre

Kuna, a fast-growing suburb of Boise, is home to Ribeiros most ambitious venture, a $50-million-plus development called Waters
Edge. Its New Urbanist elements a town square, 10 acres of greenspace and the promise of European-style sidewalk cafes are straight out of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, the 2000 book that Ribeiro says transformed him into a promoter of multi-use buildings and compact, walkable neighborhoods.

Waters Edge won a design award last year from a Idaho nonprofit that recognizes smart growth. Ribeiro says he has the financing in place to start building the village center and several of its 395 homes this year.

But he hopes to make his biggest splash in Independence, population 7,500, located 12 miles southwest of Salem on the Willamette River. He moved there from San Bernardino, Calif., in 1997, opened a real-estate appraisal business with his wife and became one of the citys biggest fans.

We bought a $400 Honda mower, left it on our porch for three years and it never got stolen, says Ribeiro, moments before ducking out of a mid-afternoon shower and into Taylors Fountain & Gifts, where hes greeted by the owner of the Main Street general store that dates to 1882. People know you, they talk to you, he says. Its a good, small town.

I love this town and I wanted to do something here that was right and fun.
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Oregon Business
Dan Sadowsky