The first building is still months from completion, but many of the units in The Woodlands active adult condominium community in Evergreen have already been sold sight-unseen.

Developer Curt Lund expects the first of four buildings for residents ages 55 and up to be completed in July 2020, but 71 of the 144 units have already been sold.

“We’re on schedule. The project is going very, very well,” Lund reported. The entire project on 11 acres behind the old Shopko building is on track for completion in November 2022. For the next phases, they plan to get an even earlier start to avoid some of the challenges of winter construction.

In addition to the four residential buildings, The Woodlands will include a clubhouse, walking path and a small park built in collaboration with Snappy Sports Senter and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

“There are two things that are driving everything here: security and community,” Lund stated.

The clubhouse connected to each of the buildings is the centerpiece of this vision.

Lund called it the “wow area.” Scheduled to be completed this time next year, the clubhouse will include a theater, fitness center and library, as well “The Gallery” for gathering with groups, friends and family. There will be an outdoor patio behind the clubhouse as well.

“It’s going to be quite a place,” Lund promised.

He also expects to hear a few “wows” from residents based on the unique construction of the residential buildings themselves. “We have some features that are unusual,” Lund commented.

Each building includes covered indoor parking on the first floor, which elevates the first level of the residential units and provides in-demand covered parking. Lund explained the parking spots—one for each unit—will be angled to avoid the need for older drivers to crane their necks and are large enough to accommodate pick-up trucks. There will be additional parking outside the building for extra vehicles as well.

Inside the parking garages, there will be private storerooms for each unit and space for special services. A hair salon and barber shop is planned for the first building, but the remaining spaces are still to be determined. “People are very excited for the salon,” Lund related.

Upstairs, the spacious two or three-bedroom units feature a multitude of features. Extra studs and staggered beams in the walls, as well as a special acoustical pad in the ceilings, are intended to make the rooms sound-resistant.

“You will not hear people walking. I can guarantee that,” Lund said.

Each unit also comes with two full bathrooms and all appliances except for a washer and dryer. On the fourth floor, the corner units have high vaulted ceilings and the interior rooms have peaked roofs. The special ceilings are currently being built on the ground, and in the next few weeks they will be lifted onto the fourth floor with a crane. Lund said these roofs, “give the building some architectural excellence.

“The end units are practically all purchased,” Lund said.

Based on input from the community, the entire property is smoke-free, and there is staff on site 24/7.

Across all three residential floors, the rooms all include sun rooms and small decks where residents can enjoy views north to Glacier National Park and Big Mountain or south to the Stillwater River.

“The views up here are just absolutely awesome,” Lund said. “We feel it’s a gorgeous site.”

As scenic as the location is, Lund acknowledged the site the loss of nearby shopping opportunities with the closing of nearby Shopko and forthcoming closure of Kmart. “When we first started here, it was a plus,” he said. Now, “it’s an unknown.”

But he added, “We’ve been very transparent about it. It hasn’t really affected our sales that we know about. The nice thing with Shopko is it screens the noise of [U.S.] Highway 2.”

“The uncertainty is an issue,” he said, but he offers a flexible reservation option that he thinks helps mitigate this uncertainty. The $1,000 deposit for reservations is fully refundable if potential residents change their minds. This way, Lund said, people can make plans “without a lot of tension.”

“It’s great for the community and the people who live here,” he said.

For more information, visit: https://woodlandsmt.com

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.