CUMBERLAND — What was once just talk came to fruition with the groundbreaking for The Hub at Pennsy Trail this past November.
Christine Owens, assistant town manager of Cumberland, said that the project will consist of 252 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and also include 42 townhouse units for sale with approximately 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of commercial space.
“Housing diversity is a priority in Cumberland,” said Owens in an email. “The Hub at Pennsy Trail provides a mix of housing options including for rent apartments and for sale townhomes. As home prices continue to rise in Central Indiana it’s important to have good options for residents.”
With Cumberland being on the county line between Marion and Hancock County and having one of the highest walk scores in central Indiana, according to Owens, The Hub at Pennsy Trail will further connect Cumberland to Hancock County through the trails.
Owens said it is a priority for the town of Cumberland to connect residents to the trails and that most neighborhoods are connected to the trail network.
“The town has been planning for trail-oriented development for over a decade with a desire for developments along the town’s trails to provide residents with trail access and encourages commercial uses to support trail users,” said Owens in an email. “We want to provide opportunities for residents to be able to use trails to be able to get to shops, restaurants, parks and other places in town. In order to do that, we need developments to connect to the trail network.”
The Hub at Pennsy Trail, which will be located on U.S. 40 just east of Buck Creek, has begun construction with the main developer being Spectra.
John Petelik, co-founder of Spectra, said they started this project initially several years ago and eventually found a piece of land that fit the vision of their project. After working with the town of Cumberland to find out what they wanted and needed, Petelik said the planning started getting heavier about 18 months ago.
Petelik said that as the area continues to grow, specifically from McCordsville to New Palestine and in the Mount Comfort area, and the investment with the hospital, the need for cost conscious, quality housing options will increase.
“We wanted to put a product in that kind of helps go along with that same growth that the whole area is experiencing,” Petelik said.
One-bedroom units will be approximately 800 square feet and two-bedroom units will be roughly 1,000 square feet. As far as pricing, while Petelik said they still have some time before settling on an exact price, it is one of the key pieces of this property they are focusing on.
“As the workforce continues to grow, there’s just a really big need for an achievable, price conscious, good-quality housing option, so we’re really trying to keep the prices in line where it best serves that growing group,” Petelik said.
Petelik also said that being located right by the Pennsy Trail offers them a unique opportunity for a fun living environment and to be pedestrian friendly. He said residents will have several access points to the trail and will have access to retail nearby.
Petelik said that this is their first project that’s focused on growing workforce housing and that working with the town of Cumberland has been a gratifying process.
“You can just see the growth, the vision and the excitement from the town managers, and from the council and just everybody,” Petelik said. “We’re excited to get it going. I think the community has been very excited and receptive to it as well.”
With the groundbreaking starting in early November, Petelik said that they expect to have some of the units available for move-in during the summer of 2025.
