Construction has begun on 11 houses in Johnston’s Birchwood Crossing neighborhood, Hubbell Homes announced. The houses, with starting prices of about $245,000, will back up to a mature line of trees and are near Timber Ridge Elementary School and just south of a city park. “Our team thought this would be the perfect place to create a smaller-sized community [called Birchwood North] with homes that also have a smaller footprint,” Rachel Flint, Hubbell Homes vice president, said in a news release. “These homes will have roughly 1,300 square feet of space – perfect for the first-time homebuyers or a growing family.” The houses will be available for purchase in 2020.