Groundwork, in partnership with Community Development Northwest Arkansas and Buffalo Builders, recently broke ground on the “Big Emma” attainable housing project in Springdale.
The project, dubbed “Big Emma” by its planners, is a 77-unit mixed-income apartment development located on Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale. The investment from Groundwork ensures that 30 of the units will be permanently reserved for households earning below the median income in Northwest Arkansas. The development of “Big Emma” is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
“Today is an important day for Northwest Arkansas,” said Duke McLarty, Groundwork executive director. “Big Emma is Groundwork’s first attainable housing investment, and I applaud the City of Springdale for its forward-thinking vision and partnership to make this project a reality. The development of Big Emma will serve a model for municipalities across the region as they explore innovative strategies to promote more development of attainable housing in their cities.”
“Big Emma” is centrally located on the corner of Emma Avenue and Park Street in Springdale. The development is in proximity and walkable to other important amenities like grocery stores, health clinics, pharmacies and recreation opportunities like Luther George Park, the Razorback Regional Greenway and The Jones Center.
“Accessible housing is instrumental in providing stability for essential members of our community, including educators, health care professionals and other frontline workers,” said Robert Burns, Walton Family Foundation Home Region Program director. “Big Emma’s groundbreaking marks a milestone for our community and is step toward ensuring that our region remains a thriving and welcoming home for all.”
Community Development Northwest Arkansas, a regional nonprofit housing developer, will develop and operate the project. The project was designed by BiLD architects and will be constructed by Buffalo Builders. Community Development Northwest Arkansas has decades of experience operating affordable housing projects according to federal program guidelines. Their proven capacity brings confidence that the project will operate sustainably and serve the intended population for the long term.
“We are excited to break ground on our first project in Washington County and hope it is the first of many,” said Casey Kleinhenz, CDNWA executive director. “The partnerships and funding strategies that we have used to deliver Big Emma will be replicable in future Northwest Arkansas affordable housing projects.”
The “Big Emma” development will encompass three buildings each with three stories that will include 57 one-bedroom apartments, and 20 two-bedrooms apartments, a green space picnic area, and two commercial spaces for lease. Construction on Big Emma is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
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