Bloomington’s first co-housing community is in the early stages of development.

The community will include several smaller homes that are centered around shared yards and buildings. Residents will use common facilities that could include a kitchen, laundry room or even guest rooms.

Loren Wood Builders is leading construction of the project. Owner Loren Wood says the community will be located on South Maxwell, near the southeast YMCA and Bloomington Montessori School.

Wood says he is excited to provide more housing choices for Bloomington residents but also wants to make sure people understand what co-housing entails.

"It’s a really big question: what is co-housing?" Wood says. "And in a lot of ways it’s not any different from another neighborhood. But a neighborhood with maybe a little more intentional interaction with the neighbors. But do you have to like everyone in there? Certainly not."

Wood expects the project to be complete in 2022.