PORTLAND, Ore. -- Talk about downsizing. They're called "micro homes," taking urban living to a new "low" impact, on the community, the environment and pocketbook.
At the corner of 43rd and Division in Portland, a 15,000 square foot plot will add up to 29 homes, by subtracting what some folks don't need or want or need.
"We just see there's a real need for small housing and affordable housing," said Heidi Hawk, sales manager for the Portland division of D-R Horton.
The micro-homes are just 364 to 687 square feet of living space using reclaimed materials. They're designed for a specific demographic.
"Anyone who is wanting to commute ,anybody who wants to be in the city, but not necessarily smack downtown," said Hawk.
With no garages, the village is filling a niche for those who prefer two wheels instead of four. The first ten buyers will get a free bike.
"An electric bike, and helmet, the whole package in their home to make it really work for them," said Gretchen Wagner with Kalkhoff bikes in the Pearl District.
Division 43 is an experiment for D-R Horton, one of the country's largest production builders. The company is use to constructing larger homes in the suburbs. This is the first time the company is building in an urban environment.
"Very entertaining," said David Schlicker from his stain glass studio just across the street. "They'll be more people over there and more activity at night, so I feel a little more secure knowing they'll be more people around," noted Schlicker.
For other businesses along division the hope is, this new development will spur more of the same.
"Like we've been doing on Hawthorne and Belmont that's an important part of Division's growth," said Nancy Chapin with the Division/Clinton Business Association.
If this experiment is successful, D-R Horton has another piece of property in southeast the company would like to develop.
Division 43 will be finished in July. Units start at $120,000 to $185,000.
