March 2nd, 2020
Golf Courses Are Out & Community Farms Are In: New Sustainably Designed “Agrihood” Launches In Palm Springs
Original Article by Julia Brenner for Forbes >
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., — After the successful recent launch of Miralon during Palm Springs Modernism Week, developer Freehold Communities is seeing immediate home sales within its new sustainably designed community, or “agrihood.”
“Flair” home by Woodbridge Pacific Group at Miralon in Palm Springs. Woodbridge Pacific Group and AG Photography
While the definition of an “agrihood” is still somewhat fluid, the term typically refers to a planned community centered around working green space, like community farms or community gardens.
In the case of Miralon, the masterplan community includes 1,150 new residences that balance Mid-Century Modern-inspired style with “sustainable design that looks to the future of the Coachella Valley,” according to Freehold California Division President Brad Shuckhart.
Where there used to be a golf course, Miralon has planted 7,000 olive trees on the former fairways. Olives will be harvested into olive oil by Temecula Olive Company.
One standout feature of the Miralon agrihood is the 309 acres that have been transformed from an 18-hole golf course into working olive and citrus groves, community gardens, and walking trails. Shuckhart notes that “as a leader in agrihoods” the vision for Freehold Communities is to create “vital communities that inspire healthful social interaction.”
Rendering of Miralon’s, The Club. Mid-Century Modern-inspired design by Robert Hidey Architects. Opens summer 2020.
“Miralon is very specific to the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley region,” says Shuckhart. In addition to the upscale club and lounge areas residents have come to expect within a Palm Springs-based planned community, the Miralon concept includes harnessing local natural resources in more sustainable ways than building golf courses or tennis courts.
Shuckhart explains that the development team “repurposed a former golf course into groves, parks, and trails, including more than 70 acres of olive trees, cultivated by Temecula Olive Oil Company, with drip-irrigation.” He further adds that “former golf cart paths will constitute approximately 6.5 miles of hiking trails. Former tee boxes and greens are being transformed into smaller groves, dog parks, exercise stations, and social areas. Olive oil from the orchard will be pressed on-site, and produce from the community gardens will go directly to the tables of residents.”
