WATERLOO -- Dick Klingaman was growing corn and soybeans on a portion of his southwest Waterloo family farm. Now, the land is sprouting condominiums.

Klingaman, 80, a longtime farmer, developer and former National Cattle Congress board chairman, and his family have invested more than $5 million in Ekho Ridge Townhomes, a growing condominium complex along West Fourth Street south of U.S. Highway 20.

The development, started in 2002, will hold a projected 87 homes, about 45 of which have been built. Some prospective residents have reserved sites, said Klingaman's daughter, Kris, who is helping market the project.

Kris said the project was her father's brainchild. The condos in the $130,000 to $140,000 price range meet a need for moderately priced new homes.

"There was a huge hole (in the market)," Kris said. "It was multi-family housing in an economy price range. Yet we also wanted to offer the quality."

But it also filled a personal need in her dad's and their family's life.

"Dad is such a project person," Kris said. "Mom (Jean Klingaman) passed away in 2000, and dad really needed a project to get going and help him work through the grief, so that was also part of the focus."

Dick and Jean Klingaman were married 50 years. Jean was a longtime Republican activist and former county party co-chair. She served on the Black Hawk County Conservation Board for years, and a bench at Hartman Reserve Nature Center is dedicated in her memory. She was a national Goodwill Industries volunteer of the year, and a local American Red Cross Hawkeye Chapter volunteer award is named for her. Dick and Jean also developed the nearby Timberline residential complex some 30 years ago.

Dick Klingaman made the project a family affair.

"He started family meetings two years before he started the actual project, just to get us involved, get our input as far as floor plans, layout decisions," Kris said. "He really wanted to involve the family."

Kris, her sister, Soo Grieman, brother Steve Klingaman and the seven grandchildren all joined in. The streets are named for Dick's grandchildren.

However, when Klingaman started clearing land for the project, he flew solo. The family has a pet name for Dick's piece of earth-moving equipment.

"That's Killdozer," Kris said with a smile.

Longtime local earth-moving contractor Gale "Cork" Petersen of Petersen Contractors Inc. would stop by to offer words of encouragement and, in Dick's words, "tell me what I was doing wrong."

"One morning I did have to shut him down, because the homeowners were complaining," Kris said, "It was 4 in the morning, and he was out there with his John Deere tractor leveling dirt."

"I like to have a day's work done by noon," Dick said.

Sales have slowed. "Initially, we couldn't build them fast enough," Kris said. Dick said they were selling an average of one a month until about a year ago.

But the Klingamans think the quiet, energy-efficient construction and location in growing south Waterloo is an advantage.

"People feel like they're in the country, but they're just 5 to 7 minutes from Crossroads (Center) or anywhere they want to go -- Highway 20, Highway 63," Kris said.

Residents also have access to a clubhouse with party, kitchen and exercise rooms and a 3-hole golf course shared with the Timberline complex.

"People can't believe that guy out there on that tractor is kind of responsible for all this," Dick said sheepishly.

More information on the project may be obtained by calling Kris Klingaman at (319) 231-2541.

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or pat.kinney@wcfcourier.com