Spencer Homes Breaks Ground on 5,300 Sq Ft 2027 Wish Home in Edwardsville

A new home is moving forward along Oglesby Drive in Edwardsville, but unlike most new construction projects, this one is being built with a much larger purpose in mind.

Spencer Homes has broken ground on the 2027 Wish Home, an approximately 5,300-square-foot, six-bedroom, four-bathroom home that is expected to become the grand prize in a regional charity raffle benefiting Make-A-Wish and the Home Builders and Remodelers Charitable and Educational Foundation.

The ceremonial groundbreaking was held September 1, 2026, bringing together representatives from Spencer Homes, the charitable foundation, Make-A-Wish, R.P. Lumber, the St. Louis Cardinals and other community partners. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with completion currently targeted for spring 2027.

The home is planned along Oglesby Drive, an area of Edwardsville located within the Governors Way subdivision. Existing property and MLS records identify homes along this portion of Oglesby Drive as part of Governors Way Phase 1.

For Spencer Homes, the project represents an opportunity to combine homebuilding with a charitable initiative that is becoming an annual tradition across the Metro East.

Spencer Homes Takes the Lead on the 2027 Build

Edwardsville-based Spencer Homes will serve as the builder for this year's Wish Home.

Mike and Melinda Rathgeb of Spencer Homes were among those recognized during the September groundbreaking. Mike Rathgeb told those in attendance that Spencer Homes was proud to participate in the project and described the opportunity to represent the charitable foundation and Make-A-Wish as an honor.

Rathgeb also said the project gives the company an opportunity to give back to the community after 21 years in business.

Spencer Building Companies was founded in 2005, initially focusing its homebuilding operations in Edwardsville before expanding into other Metro East communities including Troy, O'Fallon and Maryville. The company now operates custom home, remodeling and light commercial construction divisions.

The company's connection to the regional building industry extends beyond its individual projects. Mike Rathgeb and Spencer Homes' Brett Fechte are currently listed as Builder Directors for the Home Builders & Remodelers Metro East Association. The association represents more than 250 builders, developers, remodelers, specialty contractors and other businesses connected to the residential construction industry throughout the region.

That existing involvement in the local building community makes the Wish Home a collaborative project in more ways than one.

What Is Planned for the New Wish Home?

The 2027 Edwardsville home is expected to be considerably larger than the Wish Homes built during the first two years of the program.

According to Rathgeb, current plans call for approximately:

5,300 square feet
6 bedrooms
4 bathrooms

Spencer Homes expects physical construction to begin approximately four to six weeks after the September 1 groundbreaking, which would place the anticipated start in late September or October. The current goal is to have the home completed during spring 2027.

Additional architectural details, interior finishes, floor plans and the final estimated value of the Edwardsville home have not yet been publicly released.

That is an important distinction as the project moves forward. The Home Builders & Remodelers Metro East Association's Wish Home webpage currently states that information on the 2027 Wish Home is coming soon, while portions of the webpage still display information from the completed 2026 Mascoutah project.

As construction progresses, more details about the house itself, its design and the companies contributing to the build are expected to become available.

How the 2027 Wish Home Raffle Is Expected to Work

The finished Edwardsville home is planned to become the centerpiece of the 2027 Wish Home Raffle.

Shannon Stelling, executive director of the Home Builders and Remodelers Charitable and Educational Foundation, said at the groundbreaking that raffle ticket sales are expected to begin December 15, 2026.

Tickets are planned to cost $100 each, with organizers targeting at least 14,000 ticket sales and placing a cap of 20,000 tickets on the raffle.

If the required ticket threshold is reached, the drawing is expected to take place near the end of April 2027, with the winner receiving the completed Edwardsville home. Organizers are also planning additional prizes, with the winners expected to be drawn live on FOX 2 St. Louis if the minimum ticket requirement is met.

If the required number of tickets is not sold, Stelling said the grand prize would instead become a cash award calculated based on ticket sales, with the foundation selling the completed home.

Because the complete official rules for the 2027 raffle have not yet been published on the HBR website, those announced details should be considered the current plan for the raffle. Final eligibility requirements, prize details and official terms are expected to be released closer to ticket sales.

A Regional Partnership Behind the Project

While Spencer Homes will lead construction, the Wish Home is designed to be a collaborative effort involving businesses, trades, charitable organizations and community partners from throughout the region.

The project is organized under the Home Builders and Remodelers Charitable and Educational Foundation, which works on charitable initiatives as well as workforce development and educational opportunities connected to the building industry.

The foundation is partnering with Make-A-Wish Illinois and Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas as part of the Wish Home initiative.

Make-A-Wish works to grant wishes for children facing critical illnesses, and the Wish Home program has become one way for the local construction industry to help generate financial support for that mission.

The 2027 project also includes partnerships with the St. Louis Cardinals, FOX 2 St. Louis and iHeartRadio.

Sean Liston, who works in corporate partnerships with the Cardinals, attended the groundbreaking and discussed the organization's opportunity to support the community and Make-A-Wish through the project.

R.P. Lumber was also represented at the event, with Bob Plummer, members of his family and company staff recognized during the ceremony.

More Builders, Contractors and Vendors Could Become Involved

One of the defining characteristics of the Wish Home program is the number of companies and construction professionals that can come together around a single project.

Organizers are currently seeking additional vendors, contractors and workers to participate in the Edwardsville build.

According to information released around the groundbreaking, participating companies could become part of a planned marketing campaign valued at more than $400,000, with organizers expecting the campaign to reach millions of people throughout the region.

The previous Wish Home demonstrates how extensive that collaboration can become.

For the 2026 project in Mascoutah, numerous contractors, suppliers and organized trades contributed time, materials or expertise to the home. Companies involved included HBD Homes, The Haire Corporation, Liese Lumber, GAF, Eagle Flooring, Timmerman Concrete, Butler Supply, Ferguson, Belleville Supply and others.

That model allows the Wish Home to serve as both a charitable fundraiser and a showcase of the construction industry across the Illinois side of the St. Louis region.

The Third Annual Wish Home in the Metro East

The Edwardsville project will mark the third annual Wish Home organized through the foundation and its Make-A-Wish partnerships.

The program began in 2025 in Troy, where the first Wish Home was built at 1448 Guilford Place in the Hampton Glen subdivision.

That home was built by C.A. Jones Homes and included approximately 1,800 square feet on the main living levels along with an unfinished basement. The Troy raffle included FOX 2 as a media partner and featured St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith as a spokesman for the campaign.

The project then moved to Mascoutah in 2026, where the second Wish Home was constructed at 819 Daniel Drive in the Brick Yards subdivision.

The Mascoutah home was a five-bedroom custom residence with an estimated value of approximately $800,000. The project again involved the Home Builders and Remodelers Charitable and Educational Foundation, Make-A-Wish Illinois and Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas, along with a large group of construction partners and sponsors.

Now, the program is moving to Edwardsville for 2027 with Spencer Homes taking the lead on what is currently planned to be the largest Wish Home of the three.

A Major Local Build With a Different End Goal

At approximately 5,300 square feet, the new Wish Home will be a significant residential construction project on its own.

What separates it from a typical custom or speculative build is what happens when construction is complete.

Instead of simply reaching the market as another new home, the project is intended to generate support for charitable causes through a regional raffle involving homebuilders, contractors, suppliers, media organizations and community partners.

For Spencer Homes, it also provides an opportunity for an Edwardsville-based builder to lead one of the region's most visible charitable construction projects in the same community where the company first established its homebuilding business more than two decades ago.

The September groundbreaking is only the beginning.

Construction is expected to move forward this fall, raffle ticket sales are currently planned to begin December 15, and completion of the six-bedroom home is targeted for spring 2027.

More information regarding the final design, participating contractors, raffle prizes, official rules and opportunities to see the completed home is expected as the project progresses.

For now, one thing is clear: a new 5,300-square-foot home is coming to Oglesby Drive, but this build has a purpose extending well beyond the property itself.

Follow 618 Homes for more updates on new construction, development and what is coming next across Edwardsville and the Metro East.