The new home on 11th Street NE is the first of its kind in Austin.

Thursday, April 13, 2000

The new home on 11th Street NE is the first of its kind in Austin. If developer David Wellstone has his way, it won’t be the last.

On the outside, it is not anything particularly unusual. Upon entering the unfinished interior, however, one can’t help but notice that the walls and ceiling appear to be made of chipboard, instead of studs waiting the arrival of drywall. In reality, the exterior walls and ceiling are made of 4-foot-by-8-foot wooden panels on either side connected by a plastic foam core. The foam has holes running through it, places where wiring will go when the electrician comes in.

"Panelized construction is 30 percent more energy efficient than the traditional stick-built home," Wellstone said. "… We’re not using them because they’re cheaper than the traditional stick-built home, because they’re not. We’re using it because we think they’re better quality. It’s good lumber. It’s solid. No one will be putting their fist through these walls."

In addition to that advantage, the solid walls are a decorator’s dream, because a homeowner can hang a picture anywhere. No stud-finder necessary.

Wellstone is hoping some of the critics will come by and look at the home, which is located on the corner of Eighth Avenue and 11th Street NE, opposite the Mower County Recycling Department. It is, what he calls, a trilevel home. Although the interior is far from finished, the outlines of the rooms already are there.

Upon entering, a person finds himself in the great room, a living area with a vaulted ceiling and a kitchen. From there, the choice is either a few steps up or a few steps down, both lead to bedroom and bathroom areas. The home, which will be for sale for $124,000 when it’s finished, has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a two-car garage.

Another $4.5 million will be spent to resurface Interstate 90’s westbound lanes from Highway 13 at Albert Lea to Petran. Also, $1.6 million will be spent to resurface Highway 251. The work will begin in July and continue to October.

Beginning just east of County Road 30 at Maple Island, the resurfacing will continue all the way to U.S. Highway 218.

There will be traffic detours and daily lane closures with MnDOT flaggers.

The MnDOT’s district engineer reminded all motorists to exercise caution when driving through construction zones.