First house under way in Whiteside’s biggest new subdivision: Builders hope Thomson prison boosts sales

FULTON – Construction on the first of 100 high-end houses is under way in a rural subdivision south of the city, where developers could be among the early beneficiaries of a possible prison deal between state and federal agencies.

The subdivision is a 130-acre addition to Hunter’s Ridge, now a planned community complete with a central park, bike path and chestnut grove – the biggest residential development in Whiteside County this year.

The prison deal is the possible sale of Thomson Correctional Center, a mostly vacant, $145 million maximum-security prison, to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Illinois Department of Corrections is eager to sell the 8-year-old facility.

It’s a deal, Fulton Mayor Larry Russell said, that could cause the subdivision to sell out within 6 to 8 months and breathe new life into the River Bend School District.

Growth in the Mississippi River town would be driven by an estimated 3,000 jobs that could be created by the prison’s opening. That’s exactly the economic boon residents in Carroll and Whiteside counties expected when IDOC built Thomson in 2001.

“We’re encouraged by the prospect of the prison opening,” co-developer Russ Holesinger said. “We’ve had a lot of interest.”

Builder Darwin Olsen, owner of River City Construction, said his original goal was to have 15 lots sold by this time next year.

“With the prison, hopefully, we will be able to make that – and more,” Olsen said.

The first house, which Olsen hopes to complete by spring, is a 2,400-square-foot custom build with a three-car-garage and a $300,000 price tag. Olsen plans to start on the second house by April.

With or without the prison, the Hunter’s Ridge addition is scheduled to be developed in three phases, 33 lots at a time.

“We’re trying to bring back that front-porch type of community,” Holesinger said.

Russell hopes the project will bring in families and boost attendance in the flagging school district.

“We have a school system that has plateaued on attendance, and it’s always great news when a quality developer like this comes along.”

He also hopes the prison will spark extra interest in the subdivision.