Grading and infrastructure work is taking place at Marama by New Edge Living. Marama will encompass 72 fully custom homes off Woodchuck Circle in Reno.
Courtesy New Edge Living
A new luxury custom-home subdivision is underway in the coveted foothills of southwest Reno.
Grading and infrastructure work is taking place at Marama by New Edge Living. Marama will encompass 72 fully custom homes and is located off Woodchuck Circle, an area well-known by locals as the primary access point for both the Hole-in-the-Wall trail along the Steamboat Ditch canal and the exceptional hike up to Hunter Creek Falls.
Jamie Yoshida, president of New Edge Living, said a team of investment partners acquired the 154-acre project in early 2021 and brought on New Edge as a development partner later that year. The project was entitled in the mid 2000s, Yoshida said, and the original developer installed a significant portion of the backbone infrastructure before putting the project on hold.
“We have incredible views from the property — it really is just a fantastic location,” Yoshida told NNBW. “We are on the edge of (BLM) land, so you won’t get any development past us. It’s a unique natural setting, and we are really embracing that.
“We’ve replanned and re-entitled the site, and we have a conditional use permit to grade all the lots,” he added. “We will evaluate the market through the sales process — we think there will be demand for graded and natural lots.”
Construction has begun on a road that will wind through the project, as well as a gatehouse at the entrance to the subdivision. There are four streets that wind around the community, and the initial street is already in and pavement has been laid.
New Edge Living is also grading a handful of initial lots and plans on building two fully custom homes to kickstart vertical development at Marama. Despite the project’s location deep in the foothills, grading has been designed to blend with the existing topography, Yoshida noted.
“Hillside grading is always challenging, but with our plan we are fairly light on the land. We have designed the site in a smart and efficient way.”
Lamperti Construction of Truckee and Q&D Construction are performing initial grading and construction work at Marama. New Edge Living has yet to select a general contractor to build its planned residences.
The rest of the subdivision will likely be full custom homes akin to those found at neighboring Caughlin Ranch, though Marama is not part of Caughlin Ranch and will have its own HOA and architectural guidelines, Yoshida said. Lots for homesites average more than 1 acre in size, with a starting price around $700,000, he added.
“This is the last development in that area, and we are super excited about the property – it’s amazing,” Yoshida said. “It has undulating terrain and cool rock outcroppings. We have reimagined the site and adjusted the lots to better orient toward the views. It will have a much different look and feel than you see at other new developments in Reno.
“It’s primarily an owner-build community,” he added. “Homeowners will buy a lot, bring in their architect and builder, and construct their own homes in a mountain-modern architectural style. We are working on a couple of homes to get the community started. We have design guidelines for the community, and the style of the homes will be more similar to a project you would see around Lake Tahoe than projects in Reno. It will be a special place when we are done.”
Lots are being marketed and sold by Sierra Sotheby's International Realty. Jenny Johnson, president of Sierra Sotheby's International Realty, said the location of Marama is unlike any other project in the region.
“With BLM-owned land surrounding much of the development, not to mention the Hunter Creek trailhead right out the front door, the uniqueness rises high above other developments,” Johnson said.
Yoshida said it likely will take several years to build out Marama depending on market demand. New Edge Living plans on going vertical on its two custom homes before year's-end, and the gatehouse should be completed by then as well. The high interest rate environment presents a challenging environment for all developers, Yoshida added, but the company will leverage its strong banking relationships for project financing.
This is the second project in Northern Nevada for New Edge Living, which is headquartered at Apple Street in Reno. Its first was the Villas at Rancharrah, a luxury condominium project consisting of 66 homesites. New Edge Living’s parent company is Lyon Living of Newport Beach, which is the developer of the Reno Experience District at Plumb Lane and South Virginia Street. New Edge Living is also developing a 330-lot custom-home project at the private CDA National Reserve golf course in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
“I think Marama will be one of the nicest projects in Reno,” Yoshida said. “Come see what we are all about and look at the views. It will be fantastic.”