front&center J. Scott Schallhorn

CEO says The Village is neighborhood for all

By Sara Greene

LITTLE ROCK — When asked the cost of The Village at Hendrix, which is a residential and commercial development, chief executive officer J. Scott Schallhorn's answer is friendly, but firm.

"We are not discussing the investment at this time," Schallhorn said.

If he sounds like an attorney, that is because he is one.

Besides being the chief executive officer for The Village at Hendrix in Conway, Schallhorn also serves as the general counsel for Hendrix College.

"My background is in real estate work with real estate developers. There was the need for someone with a background similar to mine because this is a big project," Schallhorn said.

Earth-moving machines are working on 130 acres on the east side of Harkrider Street, near the school's Wellness and Athletics Center, changing what used to be soccer fields to streets, curbs, gutters and utility sites The Village at Hendrix.

Schallhorn describes the community-to-be as a newurbanism development that is pedestrian-friendly, with multistory buildings with stores and shops at ground level and homes on the upper stories.

"All development is not bad. The Village will provide for the needs of life such as grocery store and dry cleaner, without having to get in your car, and that's something we've got to do in order to sustain the planet. I think The Village will be the way property will be developed in the future," Schallhorn said.

He is quick to point out it is not an exclusive neighborhood.

"The most important thing I'd want people to know about The Village is that this is not a Hendrix enclave. It is a neighborhood just like any other," Schallhorn said.

A member of the Conway Downtown Partnership and is a member of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Schallhorn said The Village will echo neighborhoods like The Heights and Hillcrest, both in Little Rock. Commercial properties in the neighborhood could include a grocery store, coffee shop and bookstore.

One thing The Village at Hendrix isn't going to be is a place where absentee landlords buy homes and rent them out to college students. While there will be a few residential opportunities for students, the neighborhood will be primarily families and couples.

Last Sunday, potential residents viewed the first 11 of 50 single-family homes that will be available next year along Reynolds Avenue in Phase I, which includes about 23 acres.

The Uptown Sparta, which is an Italian-style 1,625-square-feet home with two bedrooms and 2.5 baths, has a base price of $209,625. The Arbor, which is a twostoried Colonial Revival-style, 3,248-square-foot home with four bedrooms and 4.5 baths, has a base price of $435,232.

"I have a real affinity for this project. It's exciting and engaging. I plan on moving there and walking to work each day, and it's going to be here 100 years after I'm gone," Schallhorn said.

He is not the first attorney to work on the campus, but he is the first general counsel, which means he represents the college in legal matters.

Schallhorn is a 1985 graduate of Hendrix with adegree in economics and business and received a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law in 1988.

He said a lot of what attorneys do would not make it on primetime television.

"There are attorneys who like to grandstand on television and in the courtroom, but I've never been on a jury trial and I don't want to be. Just like any other profession, attorneys are diverse. Most of us kiss our wives good-bye in the morning, drop the kids off at school and serve our customers, whether that means helping them get a divorce or helping them borrow $100 million," Schallhorn said.

After law school, Schallhorn became an associate at Rose Law Firm, which is where Sen. Hillary Clinton worked.

"I'd see her around the office from time to time," Schallhorn said.

In 1998, Schallhorn joined the law firm Kutak Rock LLP, where his practice included real estate sales, acquisitions, mortgage loans, leases and mixedused development projects like The Village.

In October 2006, Hendrix College President Timothy J.Cloyd called Schallhorn "completely out of the blue" to ask him to be general counsel and spearhead The Village at Hendrix.

He said the switch from 18 years of private law practice to working for higher education was like switching planets, butthere are common threads true to any job.

"You spend as much time at work as you do at home, and you can't do it all by yourself. You have to have a team of competent people around you to be successful in the task at hand," Schallhorn said.

matter of fact I was born: Sept. 12 1963, to John and LouCree Schallhorn of DeWitt.

My nickname is: Scooter.

Family: Wife, Jeanne White Schallhorn, who is also a 1985 graduate of Hendrix College; a son, John, 17, who is a freshman at Hendrix College, and a daughter, Madison, 14, who is a freshman at Little Rock Central High.

Our pets include: Two Labrador mixes, Soggy and Jessie, and a cat that chose us, L.C., which stands for Lost Cat.

One thing most people don't know about me is: I played football at DeWitt High School. I was an offensive tackle at 170 pounds.

My hobbies include: Fishing, running and lifting weights. I enjoy cooking and grilling. I'm decent with spuds.

Someday I'll: Be a full-time crappie fisherman.

Some of my favorite memories are fishing with my grandfather.

One word that describes me is: Genuine.

The world would be a better place if: People were just nicer and respectful to each other.

I am known for: My rural-rooted responses to "How are you doing?" like "Just ducky" or "Fine as frog's hair."

River Valley Ozark, Pages 130, 131 on 09/14/2008