Embrace the History

Earl LaFave, president and co-owner of Beck Development, wanted to play up the industrial history of the reclaimed sand and gravel quarry he restored to create the Hidden Lake community. In creating the 1/3-mile-long entryway, he merged the past and present by using waterworks and a post-and-beam gatehouse. The effect is modern grandeur with Old World feeling. LaFave designed the entrance to have aesthetic charm and psychological impact that resonate with home buyers.

"The entranceway is attractive for the person who's coming here for the first time, but for the resident who drives back and forth all the time, it becomes old hat," says LaFave. "The landscaping and the sound created by the moving water have a calming effect on the subconscious, and as residents drive in, they are soothed."

Halfway through the development schedule, all 100 homes built in Hidden Lake's first phase have been sold except models and spec homes. LaFave is confident, through direct feedback from buyers, that some homeowners bought "just because of the entranceway."

"Many times developments promise a lot but deliver very little," says LaFave. "When you make an investment of this magnitude, it sends a message that the developer is willing to make the investment upfront in the quality, success and long-term viability of the development. The quality and the level of investment remove the uncertainty from potential buyers and assure them."

Community Profile
Community: Hidden Lake, Brighton, Mich.
Developer: Beck Development
Branding Elements: 5-acre waterfront entrance featuring a gatehouse, reflective ponds and waterfalls
Cost: $500,000 for gatehouse, $2 million for entire entrance
Formula: Integrate the land's history into the development's style and story