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With plans that have been in the works for over a year, phase one of Sugar Mills Olde Towne is only months away from completion.
Construction on the 55-acre span began in June last year, said developer Lea Rutter. “What we’re creating is a town within a town.” The project completion date for phase one is set for March 2007.
Phase one construction can be seen from St. Charles Boulevard near the corner of Southdown Street in Houma. What stands is a skeleton of the future community’s main shopping district. Rutter said, the building now going up will house around 12,000 square feet of retail space on the lower level, and nearly 12,000 square feet of residential condo space directly above.
Currently the group is in negotiations with several local retailers. According to Rutter, only 3,000 of the original 12,000 square feet are left for lease in the building.
“What we are trying to attract is predominantly local retailers,” Rutter said. “We are local boys who want local business.” He explained that the development will give first preference to local retailers, then move on to regional, and lastly national businesses.
The Houma-based developer’s vision is to have the retail space leased to a variety of different shops, in turn, giving residents of Sugar Mills Olde Towne access to everything from exclusive boutiques to specialty shoe stores. He also has special spaces tucked away for corner cafés and bakeries.
When the entire development is complete, Rutter hopes to have around 100,000 square feet of retail shops at residents’ fingertips.
That number isn’t set in stone however, some of the future buildings may change in size or style depending on which businesses are expressing interest, he added.
Behind the shopping district of Sugar Mills Olde Towne is the residential area of the development. So far one house is complete, more are under construction and work on several more is about to start, he said.
The houses that are going up are all speculative homes, according to Rutter. These are homes that will help set the overall theme of the neighborhood.
“We already have pre-approved plans for the architecture that people can choose from, or they can bring in their own plans,” the developer said. “If they want, we even help them design one to fit the area.”
Most residential lots will be either 60 feet-by-120 feet, or 120 feet-by-150 feet. Rutter said both lots can comfortably hold a 3,000-square-foot house. The minimum home requirement will be 1,500 square feet.
“These lots are geared toward people who want just enough yard, but not too much,” Rutter said.
All of the buildings in the Sugar Mills Olde Towne community will be constructed in similar styles. Gwen Allemand, a real-estate agent working with the development, coins the community as having “a French Quarter flair.”
“In my travels over the years I have seen a lot of places,” Rutter said. “And Southern Louisiana has some of the prettiest architecture I have ever seen.”
Rutter’s vision is to have all types architecture found throughout Southern Louisiana weaved throughout the development. He wants to see the entire area peppered with styles ranging from French Quarter themes and St. Charles gallery homes, to Acadian creations and Louisiana-styled plantations.
The developer describes what he is doing as keeping up with a very strong trend. According to Rutter, a lot of the restoration along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is being done in the same fashion as his development.
“It’s part of the new urbanization,” he explained. “Once Sugar Mills Olde Towne is complete residents will be able to walk from their house to go eat at a restaurant. There won’t be anymore getting into your car and driving six miles down the road to go to the grocery store.”
