BENTONVILLE -- A San Diego real estate development company is looking to house its first project in the city's Market District.
The project is the first new residential development announced for the Market District since the Southeast Downtown Area Plan was adopted in January 2014, according to Beau Thompson, city planner.
The Market District
The Market District is one of two experience districts outlined in the Southeast Downtown Area Plan was adopted by City Council in January 2014. The Arts District is the other district.
The Market District is an area southwest of the railroad, skirting the Razorback Regional Greenway. It’s bounded to the north by Southeast Fifth Street and the railroad, to the east by the edge of the Tyson property, to the south by Southeast Eighth Street and to the west by Southeast D Street.
The boundaries are conceptual for planning purposes and do not represent any legal or regulatory boundaries.
Its focus is culinary arts and food.
Source: Southeast Downtown Area Plan
Caitlin Kelley, principal and chief visionary officer, and Emily Fierer, principal and chief executive officer of picture Real Estate Development, created the company in 2013. They plan to build 15 semi-attached townhomes known as the Tourmaline Urban Lofts at 501 S.E. D St.
Kelley and Fierer are the project's architects and developers.
The townhomes will be just south of the downtown trail, which connects to the Razorback Greenway about two blocks to the east. Residents will have access to a planned fish market, Bentonville Brewing Company, Austin-Baggett Park and other sites within the district. They also will be within a mile from the Downtown Square.
The Planning Commission approved the rezoning of the property from medium density to planned residential development at its last meeting Feb. 3. Plans are scheduled to go before the commission Feb. 17.
"Tourmaline is a progressive residential 'pocket community' designed for people who want to live and work within a vibrant, eclectic neighborhood," according to picture's report to the city's planning department.
The lofts will be two and three stories and will have four layouts. Some will have zero lot lines for those who don't want the maintenance of a yard, while others will have side yards, which will accommodate those who have pets, children and green thumbs, Fierer said.
The goal is to create a living environment that inspires those who live there, Kelley said.
"The whole design is around this commons where the landscape is very dominant," she said.
There will be a sculpture and bench to give the feel of an outdoor room. Native trees and shrubs will be planted on the property. Some will bear edible fruits and nuts that will be available for resident and pedestrian consumption.
"That landscape is not an afterthought," Fierer said.
The lofts are designed to give residents privacy, but also allow for spontaneous interaction with neighbors and nature, the developers said.
The first floors will be open with double-height ceilings and large, expansive glass, Kelley said. They will have contemporary kitchens and open living rooms. The master bedroom will be upstairs with a sliding barn door that looks out over the living space.
The development includes features that aren't required, which shows that Kelley and Fierer have taken ownership in the project to make it special, said Debi Havner, planning commissioner.
The outdoor sculpture and their landscaping ideas were just two that stood out to Havner.
"They have gone out of their way to make sure there's something blooming year-round," she said.
Joe Haynie, planning commissioner, said he likes the concept of the urban lofts and believes there will be myriad styles that emerge as the Market District develops.
"Each piece of land, because of size and topography, will have something unique built on it," he wrote in an email. "By having condos or Tourmaline-style complexes built, you get an increased number of people that will make use of the Market District as the markets begin to appear."
The lofts are expected to be ready for sale by this fall, according to the developers.
NW News on 02/07/2015