Last week, the New Ulm Business Resource Innovation Center (NUBRIC) began foundation work at 418 and 424 S. 13th Street and 1305-1315 South Minnesota Street as part of the Tiny Homes projects, also known as GartenDorf Village.

The idea behind GartenDorf Village is to create a development of simplified living spaces with small floor plans. Each of the tiny homes built in this development would be 20 feet by 20 feet and 20 feet tall at the peak. The homes would have a full main floor and a smaller loft second floor.

NUBRIC CEO Steve Brown said the plan is to create 15 tiny homes total in GartenDorf Village, but is starting with two test homes to create interest in the community before construction begins on the remaining 13 homes.

Thursday, Brown was on site in an excavator working on the foundations.

NUBRIC CEO Steve Brown in an excavator moves dirt on the lot on the corner of 13th Street and 1305-1315 S. Minnesota Street. This site will be home to the new GartenDorf Village development, also known as the Tiny Homes development. Photo by Clay Schuldt

“Both of the foundations are dug, we just need to clear out the bottom,” he said. “I aim to start forming foundations on Monday. We hope to have concrete in the foundations by Aug. 1 to start framing the houses.”

Brown said the project will also include subcontract work from GSM, Full Service Electric and ARR Construction. He is confident the first two tiny homes will be completed in the fall of this year.

An overhead map of the Tiny Homes development at 418 and 424 S. 13th Street and 1305-1315 South Minnesota Street. The first phase of the development calls for the creation of two tiny homes. Foundation work on the first tiny homes started last week. Submitted photo