Proposals for 360 new homes and an early years centre are being drawn up for arable farmland at Trimley St Martin.
Landowners Trinity College, Cambridge, are seeking public views on the project ahead of submitting a planning application.
The estate would be built on land surrounding the old poultry farm at the junction of Trimley High Road and Howlett Way.
East Suffolk Council has identified the land for development as part of its need to build 10,476 new homes across the district - with around 3,800 of them in the Felixstowe area - over the next 16 years.
The council says its public consultation highlights a need for homes on the site to be targeted at the retirement market, plus housing for younger people and families to redress the population imbalance across this part of the district.
There would also need to be an early years centre for nursery education - costed at £1,050,000 - to serve the growing number of families, and this could be built on the estate or next to a £7million new primary school earmarked for a 150-home estate on land opposite next to Reeve Lodge.
Bidwells, which manages the Trimley Estate on behalf of Trinity College, is now seeking views from the public on the estate and an early lay-out of the development which it has published on a new dedicated website.
It says the aim will be to build the homes over three to five years, and to include play equipment, green areas through the estate and links to local footpaths, and a new access roundabout on Howlett Way.
The homes would be in a range of sizes and styles with one-third affordable, a mix of below market rent and shared ownership, allowing people on low incomes to get onto the housing ladder.
Bidwells said: "The growth of jobs in Felixstowe and the Trimleys, driven by expansion of the port, means that employment is now out of balance with the availability of housing in the local area.
"As a result, more of the new jobs are being taken up by people who are not able to find a home in Felixstowe or the Trimleys, even if they would like one. This had led to an increase in commuting from other towns on a daily basis and less spending money being retained in the local economy, trends that the district council does not wish to encourage.
The population in the area is increasing at the same time as average household sizes are falling, further increasing the need for housing. The number and type of new homes provided in recent years has not matched this increase in demand.
"The homes will be suitable for families, the elderly and young couples who need to get onto the property ladder and will include subsidised affordable housing for those unable to pay market prices."
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