A couple dozen homes have been completed so far, and two of the commercial buildings are up and leased, says Dave Williams, a partner in the LLC. "We just got the liquor licenses for the half a dozen restaurants that we're looking to get, that should make leasing a little easier," he says.

The city of Clayton, a relatively young community, instituted this new urbanism project as part of its master plan 10 years ago. "In lieu of picking a road and loading it with retail, they wanted to create a sense of place, where you could live in a community and not have to jump in a car every time you want to get something," Williams tells GlobeSt.com.

Katie Fox, a leasing agent with Casto, tells GlobeSt.com that her firm's plan is to attract more localized, not national, tenants. "I'm specifically targeting health/environmentally conscious tenants," she says. "A few examples would be a natural foods grocer, an open market florist, international food concepts, European-style pubs, a local drug store, and more. There will also be lots of parks, fishing ponds and fountains., and city offices in the main village area."

The commercial property will be arranged with retail on the first floor of the multiple buildings, and either office or some sort of multifamily above, she says. The buildings will range in size, with some being two stories, and some higher, she says.

The area is north of Interstate 70 along State Road 40, and this Dayton suburb is already a high-growth area, Williams says. "We're right near the junior high and high school for the four-community area," he says. He says the development is moving in slow phases, and the cost and timeframe for completion are hard to determine now.

However, it's clear it will cost about $18 million to build the sports-plex, which will be a focal point for the village. Continuum Clubs Inc., a Napa, CA-company, will build the Clayton Proaction Arena and Lifestlye Medical Center. Construction is expected to begin in September.