A 1st look at the homes in the St. John's Galway development

People can now get a first look at what homes in the Galway neighbourhood of St. John's will look like, after the official opening of the development's model home.

Developer Danny Williams, president and CEO of DewCor, along with St. John's Mayor Dennis O'Keefe christened the neighbourhood's first street as Beaumont Hamel Way on Wednesday morning.

Members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment were on hand for the unveiling of Beaumont Hamel Way, as Williams recountedthe feeling of standing next to the Danger Tree on the site where the troops fought in 1916.

"I get cold shivers, it really makes me tremble when I talk about it," Williams said.

"But that's a hugely significant event for Newfoundland, one of great sadness and one of great pride, and our property here hopefully over the course of the next century will be one of great pride to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians."

The model home has a manicured lawn and both interiorand exterior finishings. Other new homes are still being constructed nearby, with price tags of $559,000.

But Williams said Galway won't be a gatedcommunity for millionaires. When it's all said and done, it will be for everyone, and will have affordable options for people from all walks of life.

"I'm proud as punch to be here today. This is the opening of GalwayLiving, in a couple months time there will be a formal opening of Galway as an entire community, so we can all look forward to that in September," said Williams.

The former premier added that he doesn't understand the negativity around projects, whether it be Galway or other "world-class projects" in the province, referencingthe Muskrat Falls hydro development, adding he's an eternal optimist who"believes in Newfoundland and Labrador."

Roughly 2,000 homes planned

"We got a lot done in a short period of time and this is a labour of love and it's four years in the making," said Williams.

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"We spent a lot of money, but it's immaterial what we're trying to do here is create an outstanding master-plan community that the entire province will be proud of, not St. John's alone."

Richard Butts, president of Clayton Developments Ltd., which partnered with DewCor for the development, said the model home is just the first of a roughly 2,000 homes planned for Galway over the next 20 years.

"It's a massive project, it's really exciting and we're excited to be a part of it with our partner Danny Williams," Butts said.

Galway, the2,400-acre planned neighbourhood, is the "first of its kind in Newfoundland and Labrador,"according to DewCor and Clayton.

It will have a mix of residential properties, as well as retail and business spaces. All wiring is underground. Work on walking trails and a community park isalso underway.

In the next construction phases, a wider range of housing options will be made available, and there will be strict property guidelines for homes and streetscapes.