Wine country in California is known around the world. From Napa Valley to Sonoma, some of the tastiest wines on the planet hail from the Golden State. The Northern part of the state is where the wines are made, and it is more than just a place that produces high volumes of high-quality drinks. Northern California wine country has some small towns that make for the perfect place to settle down away from the bright lights and noise of some of California’s larger cities. One such place is Healdsburg.
Healdsburg is located in the heart of Sonoma County, right in Northern California’s wine country. It is a small town, with a permanent population of just over 10,000, but it has an excellent local culture. Healdsburg has an incredible food and wine scene, museums, a cooking school, upscale grocers, and many other features that have led to it being known as a beautiful place to live and visit. In fact, Condé Nast just recently named Healdsburg one of their 21 places to visit in 2021.
Healdsburg is the epitome of a chic, quaint wine country town, but it also is known for its industrious history as a mill town. To honor their hardworking history, the town’s former mill will be the site of its newest development that will continue Healdsburg’s ascension as a rising popular California hotspot.
This new development is called the Mill District, and it is a significant expansion for Healdsburg that could signal some serious growth for the town’s population and tourism industry. The $500 million development will significantly expand the downtown area, turning the town’s former mill, called the Nu Forest Products Lumber Mill, into a ten-acre industrial-chic neighborhood with some major features.
The Mill District is being developed by Replay Destinations, a real estate development company known for creating luxury destinations and communities. Replay Destinations has developed resorts across North America and is renowned for creating rich and luxurious environments.
The Mill District will be mixed-use, with a hotel and residential and commercial spaces. It will be a place for locals and tourists alike to frequent that seems sure to inject some serious money into the local economy.
Some of the primary features of this development will be a restaurant, a park, shops, a boutique hotel, and several luxury residences. The hotel will have 53 rooms with a pool and wellness amenities designed by SB Architects. There will be cobbled walkways and gardens that connect all the amenities in the Mill District, which will be created by VITA Landscaping.
If the small-town charm appeals to you, and you’re looking to move into a growing community in the heart of wine country, the residences in the Mill District represent some of the best living California has to offer. The primary residence, called Canopy, is a luxurious home right in the heart of Healdsburg.
Canopy consists of 43 residences designed by Olson Kundig, which are open-concept, modern, and perfect for entertaining. The indoor components of the home flow into beautiful outdoor spaces surrounded by historic preserved redwood trees. There will be a restaurant with a private chef, a business center, a fitness studio, and an experience concierge that will help residents plan their day-to-day. It will be an incredible place for luxury wine country living.
The Healdsburg area and the surrounding wine country are well-known as one of the best places for biking in the world. With tons of wide-open trails alongside wine farms and other unique sights, biking is a huge component of the culture of this area, and Mill District will accommodate this. Mill District will have an area, Velo, which will be the entry point to some of the best cycling in the world.
Velo will plan rides, provide training and routes, and offer lunch and coffee suggestions to give bikers the optimal experience. It will be the hub that countless bike lovers start their wine country journey from.
Mill District will continue Healdsburg’s transformation from an industrial town to a tourism center. Healdsburg represents the perfect small-town for an authentic California wine country experience, and Mill District will rapidly expand the town’s capacity for welcoming tourists and new residents. It is fitting that the mill, which was a defining part of the town’s past, now represents the site of a defining part of their future.