06/May/2009
By Sean Griffin
If you turn off Sullivan onto Lovett Road and drive half a mile, you may notice a web of streets and sidewalks empty of houses. Soon these newly paved streets will wind through a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) that’s unique to Central.
James Nunnally and Steele Pollard are co-developers of the Village at Magnolia Square TND that has begun construction on Lovett. Nunnally said the two phase project will span 185 acres.
The first part of Phase I is now underway. This initial part includes 79 residential lots and four commercial lots.
When completed, phase I will cover 65 acres. Phase II will be 120 acres.
Nunnally said he intends for the commercial lots to include a wide array of businesses such as coffee shops, a specialty grocery and even a large fitness club.
“We’re hoping to have businesses here that can allow the residents to stay locally,” Nunnally said. “Magnolia Square is not built around the car.”
Steady Progress
Now that the sewer systems and roadways are finished, above-ground building is ready to begin.
“I’ve been working to get the infrastructure in place and now that it is, we’d like to begin building as soon as possible,” Nunnally said.
Pollard said he has been researching architecture and developing the specific building style for Magnolia Square. This includes traveling throughout the region to see other TNDs. Nunnally and Pollard would eventually like to visit between 10 to 15.
“We’ve come up with classical architecture that also meets the needs of the person that lives there,” Pollard said. “Homeowners have a lot of needs and we need to meet them.”
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Idea’ House
Instead of just meeting those needs, Pollard said the development will also strive for better, more environmentally sound methods of construction. This includes houses that save energy, decrease waste and focus on sustainability.
An “idea” house will be built to showcase the neighborhood’s architectural style and Pollard said it will be built to meet national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
“We’re hoping to set the bar high for our builders with this ‘idea’ house,” Nunnally said. “But we also want to show buyers as well.”
In addition to eco-friendly construction, the “idea” house will showcase the architectural style to appear in the rest of the neighborhood.
“It’s all about large front porches, tall ceilings and hardwood floors with an exterior appeal that will last for centuries,” Pollard said. “The garden will even feature productive landscape instead of ornamental landscape to provide food for the occupants.”
Nunnally said the home will rely on deep front porches and roof eves to better shade the home from the hot Louisiana summer sun.
Right now Nunnally Pollard have plans to begin building the ‘idea’ house and other homes in the near future. Nunnally said they were pushing to have some homes completed by the end of the year.
These homes would be built using the same techniques as the “idea” house.
“We truly haven’t accomplished anything at the end of the day if we don’t follow through with the other houses,” Nunnally said. “We have to lead by example.”
As a Venue
The development is also designed to accommodate outdoor events for the community. Central’s Cookin’ for Our Kids is one such event that used Magnolia Square as its venue. At the front of the neighborhood is a large green space Nunnally called the Great Lawn.
“We want to have places that the residents of Magnolia Square can come and have a picnic with their family and enjoy the outdoors,” he said. “Then they can just pick up their things and walk back to their homes whenever they’re done.”
But he expects that the atmosphere created by Magnolia Square will benefit the city of Central.
“Magnolia Square is going to be the spot in Central to hear some music or enjoy a festival,” Nunnally said. “When everything is finished it’s truly going to be breathtaking.”
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