imagine the "good old days" making a comeback.
Build a home in Prairie Trail.

Sometimes it takes awhile for a housing area to take on that lived-in look. But Prairie Trail will have it from the beginning. New construction is based on vintage housing styles, ones that offer a feeling of instant charm and a sense of place—just like those in small-town Iowa.

With lakes, public spaces, and a walkable environment for residents, Prairie Trail is a place where you’ll want to wave to your neighbors, invite them to the front porch for a chat, or fly a kite at the park with your children. There will be 13 miles of trails to connect a variety of neighborhoods with a range of housing types—single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and housing for senior citizens—and a variety of architectural styles evoking a gentler era.

“These styles will help transport us back to a time before garage doors dominated the fronts of homes,” says Ted Rapp, DRA Development Coordinator. “That became a model for many subdivisions, and it wasn’t conducive to being neighborly. People drove in, put down the garage door, and stayed inside
their homes.”

Rapp says the “alley look,” so reminiscent of small towns, brings people out to the front of their homes for relaxation. He explains that in other plats a garage placed on the front of the house must be set back from the house a required number of feet. “One of our goals is to treat the garage as what it is, not as the focal point of the home.”

Prairie Trail is distinct, but not exclusive. With its town square, expansive green spaces, community gathering spots, and architectural styles that evoke a small-town feel, the area has been planned to blend beautifully with the time-honored character of Uptown Ankeny and with the nearby business areas.

What’s your style?
Prairie Trail will afford a variety of complimentary housing options designed to create a vibrant, energetic community. The four traditional styles of the community will be depicted within all the residential neighborhoods. All four styles are appropriate to the heritage of the central Iowa region and echo many of the design elements in Iowa’s historic neighborhoods.

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want to learn more about the architectural styles?
check out our page about the 4 styles, victorian, colonial revival, european romantic, and arts & crafts.

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The character found in Prairie Trail features front lawns raised above the street, often with a sloped lawn or short wall. Small-scale wrought iron fences and hedges reinforce the pattern of a separation between the public street and the front yard. Many neighborhoods will have a mix of cottages, combined with larger houses. The palette of architectural styles features the romantic periods of domestic architecture documented in pattern books and catalogs used by builders in this region during the late 1800s and the early 1900s.

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read more:
available lots :: architectural styles :: prairie trail: the game
builder profiles :: pattern book :: architectural review