ROGERS, Ark. — A local investment group is working on a master plan for a new development in Rogers, and developers say it will be more than just housing.
It’s called a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND). John Schmelzle, a real estate developer working on the project, says the concept is relatively new to the area.
“Most people have been to a Traditional Neighborhood Development when they go on vacation, but we don't see a lot of them here in Northwest Arkansas,” Schmelzle said.
Before long, people in Rogers will see one in the Pinnacle Hills area.
“'Traditional Neighborhood Development' is a term used by urban planners that really evokes the 1950s era of development where you have a walkable network of streets, you have a little bit of a retail downtown area, and you can have a range of housing types,” Schmelzle said.
The Warren Family Farm property stretches for 200 acres between the intersection of Pleasant Grove Rd. and Pinnacle Hills Pkwy. all the way down to Garrett Rd, and soon, the property will be home to the new development, Warren Park.
Schmelzle describes the future neighborhood as “small town living with bigger town conveniences.”
“I think people want more of a sense of place,” Schmelzle said. “There's nothing wrong with having strip malls and what we would call large, traditional, single-family neighborhoods, but I do think there's a desire to have a bit of a community.”
Schmelzle says that includes stores, places of worship, and public spaces for music and entertainment, all within walking distance of home.
“We're in the heart of all the growth in Northwest Arkansas right here in the Pinnacle Hills area,” Schmelzle said.
That’s why the investment group is working to address a wide range of housing options.
Schmelzle says they plan to develop a significant portion of the property themselves, but they will also sell a portion of the lots so people can build their own homes.
He says the goal is to make Warren Park a natural extension of the community that’s already there.
“Really what we want to do is create a community, not just a subdivision, where we have different demographics, different ages of folks all living in the same community, walking down a tree-lined bike path, and going to eat together and sit out on the sidewalk in the downtown section, and really just being proud of living in Arkansas and living in Rogers,” Schmelzle said.
The details are still in the works, but Schmelzle says they hope to start breaking ground in 2024.
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