Syracuse, N.Y. – The developer of what would be the largest housing subdivision in Syracuse in decades is seeking a new partner after the site’s owner pulled out of the project.
A California developer is aiming to remake a fallow golf course on the edge of the city into 263 homes with a nine-hole golf course, a lake, trails and other amenities, much of it geared toward workers drawn to the area by Micron Technology.
Kassie Smith, founder and CEO of KS Global Development, obtained approval of her master plan from the Syracuse Planning Commission this summer.
But the owner of the 168-acre site on LaFayette Road now wants to flip the property. A “for sale” sign recently went up at the property.
The land owner, an investment group based in Frisco, Texas, named B3R Investments, is asking $11 million for the property. It paid $3.2 million for it three years ago.
Smith said B3R Investments recently pulled out of a development agreement with her, deciding to sell now rather than being part of the site’s redevelopment.
She said she is working to bring in an investor who could buy the property and replace B3R as her partner in the proposed LaFayette Hills “lifestyle” community.
“B3R is still supportive of the project and Micron, but their business model is to purchase and sell land,” Smith said.
Changing partners midstream happens in building projects. And Smith is hoping B3R’s decision does not delay the start of construction next year.
But the search for a new development partner adds a hurdle to overcome before the project can move forward.
It is the second large housing project in Onondaga County that finds itself in that situation.
Just last month, plans to rebuild the vacant ShoppingTown Mall in DeWitt into a center with hundreds of homes, businesses and retailers landed back on square one when a Syracuse group withdrew from a development agreement with the county.
County Executive Ryan McMahon has said the county will seek a new developer for ShoppingTown.
The timing is discouraging. Micron is promising to bring thousands of jobs to the region, but housing is already in short supply and home construction is slowing, not increasing.
Fewer new houses and apartments were completed in the county last year than in any of the last 25 years except for the pandemic year of 2021, according to county property records. And things might not be any better this year, according to building permit data for 2025.
LaFayette Hills Estates in Syracuse and LaFayette is planned as a lifestyle community with amenities that include a lake surrounded by walking trails.Provided image
Smith said she is still hoping to begin construction on LaFayette Hills Estates in the spring of 2026. That timeline will depend on finding a new partner to replace B3R Investments.
The subdivision is planned for the former LaFayette Hills Golf & Country Club at 4480 LaFayette Road.
The country club opened in 1923 and closed in 2013.
Estates at New York LLC, a real estate entity formed by B3R Investments, bought the property from investor Mike Muraco in 2022.
Smith said her goal is to get the development underway as Micron begins construction on a semiconductor plant in Clay that is expected to bring thousands of new residents — and potential homebuyers — to Onondaga County. Micron has said it hopes to begin site work next month, with the first production of memory chips by 2030.
Smith said the first homes could be ready for occupancy in late 2026, assuming construction starts in the spring. She plans to use modular construction methods, with sections of the homes built in factories and assembled on site, a process that speeds up the building process.
Model homes would be erected before the end of the summer for potential buyers to tour, she said.
The Syracuse Planning Commission approved the master plan for LaFayette Hills Estates 4-0 in August.
Two residents of the area spoke at the commission’s public hearing on Aug. 18. They expressed concerns about the project’s potential impact on traffic and water pressure in the area. But the commission ruled that the development would be unlikely to have a significant adverse environmental impact.
Additional approvals will be needed from the commission for the site plans for each of the two phases of the project that would be built in the city.
A clubhouse concept for the planned LaFayette Hills Estates development in Syracuse.Provided image
The project also got a boost in May when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $3 million state grant to extend city sewers to the site.
The development would consist of a mix of single-family detached homes and ‘four-plexes,’ which are townhomes with four attached units. The townhomes would be 1,600 square feet and the detached single-family homes would be 2,100 square feet.
Buyers would have several different floor plans and finish packages to pick from.
Image depicts an interior concept for homes at the planned LaFayette Hills Estates lifestyle community in Syracuse and LaFayette.Provided image
Prices for the townhomes would be in the $350,000 to $400,000 range, according to plans filed with the Planning Commission. The single family homes will be priced in the $425,000 to $475,000 range.
Amenities would include a lake surrounded by a beach and picnic areas, a community clubhouse overlooking the lake, and an outdoor event space next to the clubhouse. The development would also feature bike and walking trails, plus play and dog parks.
Major trees that were features of the golf course would be preserved.
“Preserving the history of the LaFayette Golf Course and the beauty of the area has always been very important to this project,” Smith said.
The homes on the city side of the development would be built in two phases, with 103 in the first and 160 in the second.
A golf course estate homes concept for the planned LaFayette Hills Estates lifestyle community in Syracuse and LaFayette.Provided image
Smith said a planned third phase would consist of a nine-hole golf course, a clubhouse, fitness and event centers and estate homes on the course starting at $1 million, with elevated views of the city.
The third phase of the subdivision would be built on the town of LaFayette side of the site and would be subject to town approvals. Smith said her development team has had several initial planning meetings with the town.
The homes throughout the development would be terraced, taking advantage of the site’s hilly terrain and the views it presents, she said.
Smith plans to offer a rent-to-own option for employees moving to the region to work at Micron Technology Inc.’s planned semiconductor plant in nearby Clay.
Under that program, buyers would have the option of initially renting the homes and buying them after two years, with part of their rent payments going toward their down payments.
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