Black Diamond readying lots for tiny homes: 15 are rented, waiting list for the other 45

SHAWNEE − Black Diamond Development is set to open its tiny home village in Shawnee this May as construction is completed over the next month.

“We’ll have 15 spots open by May 31 and then we’ll do two more phases after that, with the next phase opening up 15 more spots, and the final phase opening up 30 spots,” said Jazzma Quinn, spokesperson for Black Diamond Development, who noted there will be a total of 60 spots for tiny homeowners in the Perry County village. “The next 15 will be ready in the spring of 2025. It’s a three-year build out.”

Quinn said the 15 properties set to open in May are rented and there is a waiting list for the remaining 45 properties.

“Our goal is to create a community of tiny homes that are year-round permanent residents,” said Quinn, who added that the project was financed by North Valley Bank. “We’re able to do that by providing our residents with the necessities: sewage and water access, utilities, trash pickup, and we maintain the grounds.”

Black Diamond is also banking on the draw of the Wayne National Forest, which surrounds the tiny village, as well as the other development projects they’ve invested in for the Village of Shawnee. To date, those projects include the Black Diamond Tavern and the historic Dishon Building revitalization and renovation, among others. The Dishon buildings are located at 116 and 118 W. Main St. in downtown Shawnee.

“With the restoration of the Dishon buildings, one thing we’re doing is a coworking space,” said Quinn. “Our residents can walk from the tiny home village to the working space and have access to high-speed internet.”

Residents will also have access to Genesis Health Care Systems, a winery, and other retail shops that will open within the Dishon buildings.

“We’re really adding a community that was never there before,” said Quinn.

The Black Diamond Tiny Home Village is only the second permanent such community in Ohio. The other is Cedar Springs Tiny Village in New Paris. There are also two transient tiny home villages in Ohio: Vista Village in Columbus and Bluff Street Village in Toledo. The latter two are designed to help homeless and/or low-income individuals stabilize their housing situation before moving on to graduate into purchasing or renting a permanent home outside the villages.

“We are supportive of every tiny home utilization whether it addresses housing shortages around the country or a higher end permanent community like ours,” said Quinn. “For our residents it is a lifestyle choice to be in a community located in the heart of the Wayne National Forest with the expectation that the services and the grounds are maintained in the same manner as any similar development.”

Tiny home villages are typically lots that are developed like a standard commercial housing development where parking, utilities and other necessities are provided. Then, tiny homeowners bring their 200 to 400-square-foot unit to their rented lot and set it up. The homes are typically on wheels and transportable.

At the Black Diamond village, which is set up like a subdivision, said Quinn, residents pay approximately $500 a month in lot rent, which includes water, sewage, trash, and road and landscaping maintenance. Residents pay their electric separately.

“Our residents want to get away; they want real privacy and seclusion, and we give them that,” said Quinn. “Most of them are couples who work from home or singles who want a simpler life.”

Quinn also noted that many of the community’s residents are minimalists concerned with the environment and drawn to nature living.

“A lot of them want charging stations for electric vehicles,” she said.

Quinn said Black Diamond was careful about selecting this land and market for their first tiny home village.

“This land was so spectacular with the forest and the lake — we had to move on it,” she said. “We saw the demand for it, we saw the location, and we were able to do it with support from the Village of Shawnee. It’s been nothing but welcoming to the development and commerce we’re able to bring.”

Shawnee Mayor Tim Humphrey did not comment for this story.

To learn more visit blackdiamondtinyhomevillage.com.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Black Diamond Development prepares lots for tiny homeowners in Shawnee