Welcome to the Neighborhood
Published 3:05 pm Monday, November 13, 2017
A Traditional Neighborhood Development is a complete neighborhood with different types of housing, entertainment/social opportunities, dining, goods, services and government offices within the development. Shown here is the first TND in Lake Charles, Walnut Grove.
When Walnut Grove broke ground almost five years ago, the Traditional Neighborhood Development concept was new to Lake Charles. In 2014, work began on the Village at MorganField, the area’s second TND. This summer, Mausan Investments announced plans for Sugarcane Townes. This Iowa TND location is minutes from Lake Charles.
The TND is a complete neighborhood with different types of housing, entertainment/social opportunities, dining, goods, services and government offices within the development.
Walnut Grove is located between the Lake Charles downtown area and the port of Lake Charles on West Sallier Street.
“Walkability, connectivity and green spaces are really key to the TND concept,” said Abby Cagle, Moffett Latter & Blum realtor.
Today Walnut Grove is home to about 20 families, according to Cagle and Greg Wise, also with Moffett Latter & Blum.
Walnut Grove has a post office. Over 100 people work on the property. First Federal, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Morgan Stanley, Bradley Moreau, Calla Restaurant, Infinite Health and Executive Medical Clinic have business locations at Walnut Grove.
The tradition of classical Louisiana architecture at Walnut Grove. Shown above are two recently completed homes in the community. Walnut Grove now allows future residents to buy a lot and choose their own builder.
“We’re in the process of adding another business,” said Matt Redd, NAI Latter & Blum. “We’ve restructured our rates based on the current market. I think some business owners would be surprised at how competitive these new rates are. Walnut Grove is open for business.”
Lake Charles’ first TND now allows residents and businesses the option to choose their own builder.
“We’ll continue the tradition of classical Louisiana architecture, which means residents can build homes in many different styles,” said Cagle. “Those styles can include Arts and Crafts, Creole, Acadian, Neoclassical and Spanish.”
Six homes are under construction and three homes are completed and available, according to Wise.
Walnut Grove housing also includes townhouses for lease.
Another change in the Walnut Grove growth strategy, in addition to pricing, is broadening expectations for existing commercial space.
“When we first geared up, we thought it would be ideal to have a certain type of tenant – for example a fresh food market – in a certain space,” Redd said.
In less than five years, the Nelson Road expansion project will connect West Sallier Street and Walnut Grove residents and business customers with a quicker route to I-210 and South Lake Charles.
The Village at MorganField
Walnut Grove and The Village at Morganfield offer free musical family entertainment and food trucks on large lawns at certain times during the year. A portion of the lawn at The Village at Morganfield and townhomes are shown above.
The MorganField commercial and residential development is made up of more than 600 acres in east Lake Charles. Within that area is space for commercial development and five distinctive neighborhoods. One of these, the Village at Morganfield, is a TND.
“We saw an opportunity, based upon the overall size of the MorganField project to offer several different neighborhoods within one master plan,” said Renee DeLoach Matamoros, Marketing Director. “A TND is just one of several types of developments which focuses on a mixture of uses and housing types. A traditional neighborhood development also allows neighbors get to know each other while using one of our many amenities including parks, walking paths, events and retail space, including restaurant space.”
Phase 1 of the Village at MorganField includes 91 lots. Single-family homes and townhomes are available for purchase.
Currently the first mixed-used town center building is under construction at the Village at MorganField. This is a two-story live/work building. Romacelli, an Italian restaurant will be on the first floor. The upper floor will offer flats for rent, according to the MorganField website.
Matamoras said four of the units at the Village at MorganField are occupied. At completion, the Village at MorganField will offer townhomes, apartments and single-family detached homes.
No new businesses have committed – at the time of this article — to the Village at MorganField other than Romacelli’s, according to Matamoros. However, plans to build a church and mini storage facility, which will offer space for RV and boat storage is underway. Construction has begun on First South Farm Credit and Lighthouse fuel center/convenience store in the MorganField development.
Sugarcane Townes
This illustration shows the lot and street lay out for Sugarcane Townes. This Mausan Development will offer 517 single family and 114 multi-family developments, a sports club and strip mall.
Sugarcane Townes, a Mausan Development, is the newest TND announced for the Lake Area. It is located east of Lake Charles on I-10.
It will offer 517 single family and 144 multi-family dwellings, according to Amy Jones, Sugarcane Townes spokesperson. Also planned for the community is a sports club and strip mall.
“From our urban design to the amenities, everything has been designed to offer the conditions needed to develop a high standard of life,” said Jones.
Not just the aesthetic features but the health, education, livelihood, environment and mobility will be enjoyable within the subdivision, according to Jones.
Sitework is 85 percent complete for Sugarcane Townes.