Land Development
Our Land Development segment is primarily focused on actively developing the Sky Ranch Master Planned Community located along the booming I-70 corridor to provide residential, commercial, retail, and light industrial lots. Sky Ranch is zoned to include up to 3,400 single-family and multifamily homes, parks, open spaces, trails, recreational centers, and schools. Additionally, Sky Ranch is zoned to include over two million square feet of retail, commercial and light industrial space, which is the equivalent of 1,600 residential units, meaning the Sky Ranch community at build-out will include a total of roughly 5,000 residential and equivalent units. Our land development activities include the design, permitting, and construction of all the horizontal infrastructure, including, storm water, drainage, roads, curbs, sidewalks, parks, open space, trails, and other infrastructure to deliver “ready to build” finished lots to home builders and commercial customers. Our land development activities generate revenue from the sale of finished lots as well as construction revenues from activities where we construct infrastructure on behalf of others. Land development revenues come from our home builder customers under specific agreements for the delivery of finished lots. Additionally, pursuant to certain agreements with the Sky Ranch metropolitan districts, on their behalf we construct public infrastructure such as roads, curbs, storm water, drainage, sidewalks, parks, open space, trails etc., which costs are reimbursed to us by the Sky Ranch CAB, through funds generated by the Sky Ranch districts through taxes, fees or the issuance of municipal bonds.
Our land development activities provide a strategic complement to our water and wastewater services because a significant component of any master planned community is providing high quality domestic water, irrigation water, and wastewater to the community. Having control over land and the water and wastewater services enables us to build infrastructure for potable water and irrigation distribution, wastewater and storm water collection, roads, parks, open spaces, and other investments efficiently, and to manage delivery of these investments to match take-down commitments from our home builder customers without significant excess capacity in any of these investments.
In June 2017, we entered into separate contracts with Richmond American Homes, Taylor Morrison, and KB Home, pursuant to which we agreed to sell 506 total single-family, detached residential lots at the Sky Ranch property. We are obligated, pursuant to these contracts, to construct infrastructure and other public improvements as well as wholesale infrastructure improvements (i.e., a wastewater reclamation facility and wholesale water facilities).
As of May 31, 2021, we have incurred $35.3 million of the total estimated $35.8 million in costs related to the development of the first phase of Sky Ranch. We anticipate the majority of the remaining $0.5 million, of which $0.4 million is estimated to be reimbursable, will be incurred during our remaining fiscal 2021. These amounts include estimated reimbursable costs of $32.2 million, for which we received a partial reimbursement of $10.5 million through proceeds from municipal bonds and an additional payment of $0.4 million of unencumbered funds resulting from a budget surplus in 2020. We believe the outstanding $21.3 million of remaining reimbursables from the Sky Ranch CAB will be paid from future fees, taxes, and municipal bonds as the project continues to grow its assessed value and tax base. As homes at Sky Ranch have sold faster than anticipated (as of May 31, 2021 there are approximately 330 homes sold and occupied in the first development phase) and assessed values have exceeded early estimates, the Sky Ranch CAB has developed an established tax basis and has the intent and ability to issue municipal bonds. As such, the collectability of these reimbursables is deemed probable. The Company recognized an increase of $0.3 million to the Note receivable – related party with the offsetting entry recorded to Project management revenue and other income during the three months ended May 31, 2021, for a note receivable balance of $21.3 million. As of May 31, 2021, we have recognized $36.3 million of the sales price contracted for with the home builders and the remaining $0.5 million is expected to be recognized as revenue in our remaining fiscal 2021. In addition, from the start of development at Sky Ranch through May 31, 2021, the Sky Ranch development produced $13.3 million of water and wastewater tap fees, and we expect that an additional $1.5 million of tap fees will be received during calendar 2021.
In November 2020 and February 2021, we entered into separate contracts with KB Home, Lennar Colorado, Melody (a DR Horton Company) and Challenger Homes to sell 789 single-family attached and detached residential lots at the Sky Ranch property. This next development phase of Sky Ranch will incorporate approximately 250 acres and is planned to be completed in four sub-phases. Due to our strong performance in the first phase of the Sky Ranch project, we were able to realize an approximate 30% increase in our lot price from $75,000 for a 50’ lot in phase one to $97,000 for the same 50’ lot in the first subphase of the second phase. The timing of cash flows will include certain milestone deliveries, including, but not limited to, completion of governmental approvals for final plats, installation of wet utility public improvements, and final completion of lot deliveries. In February 2021, we began construction on the second development phase at Sky Ranch, which is expected to include nearly 900 residential lots. We expect delivery of platted lots to begin in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 and continue steadily over the next several years. The 100+ lots not currently under contract to home builders are being retained for use as build-to-rent long-term rental properties, as described below.