Vesta at Schilling Farms Breaks Ground

By Ron Caldwell
– The Collierville Herald –

Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout and representatives from the Memphis Area Home Builders Association took part in a ground-breaking ceremony for the 1999 Vesta Home Show to be held at the Neighborhood of Schilling Farms on the first three weekends this October.

On Thursday of last week, the dignitaries gathered at the site to mark the move of Vesta back to Collierville. The event, now in its 15th year, was last held in the town in 1996 at Almadale Farms.

The move is particularly appropriate this year as Collierville is one of the fastest growing cities in Tennessee in terms of residential new home building, according to David Parsons, chairman of the 1999 Vesta Show.

"Many of our builders are already heavily involved in the Collierville area," said Parsons. "Collierville is the ideal city for an event know for showcasing progressive building ideas. We couldn’t have asked for a better location than the Neighborhood of Schilling Farms."

The master plan for Schilling Farms was developed in conjunction with Cooper, Robertson, and Partners of New York and Looney Ricks Architects of Memphis. The tow parties were also involved in developing the master plan for "Celebration," Disney’s new-town neighborhood project outside of Orlando, Fla.

"Construction is right on schedule and provided that there are no unforeseen developments, Vesta will open on time in early October," said my Parratt with the Memphis Area Home Builders Association. "We have six of the most respected registered builders in the area participating in the 1999 Vesta Home Show at Schilling Farms."

The list of Registered Builders in the show are Chamberlain and McCreery, Inc., Brentwood Builders, Jim McCauley and Company Homes, Morris Home Builders, and Sparkman Home Builders.

At the ground-breaking, Vesta officials also announced that the designated beneficiary from this year’s show would be the International Children’s Heart Foundation, which has treated 76 pediatric cardiac patients from around the world by bringing children and their families to LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center over the past five years. Since 1996, the non-profit organization has also funded 33 trips to 12 different countries operating on 642 children and organizing 200 volunteer medical professionals from the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.