The Grove gets growing

The High Grove, which serves as the retail and residential centerpiece of The Grove—Richard Carmouche’s traditional neighborhood development just east of the Mall of Louisiana—has been making noticeable progress in recent weeks. Construction on the first phase of The High Grove got under way in late March and includes building roads, drainage and infrastructure, as well as readying a pair of buildings to go vertical with framing, which will happen in about two weeks, Carmouche says. The buildings will consist of 192 apartments and 26,000 square feet of retail space. One is expected to be complete by May 2013, and the other by next October. “We had a wet July, but we’ll make up for it,” Carmouche says of progress on the $28 million project. The long-term plan for The Grove, Carmouche says, is to build 800 apartments and condominiums across 118 acres while maintaining 42 acres of green space. “Ultimately, it may be up to 2 million square feet of different types of buildings,” Carmouche says, adding that The Grove will be the Capital Region’s first legitimate traditional neighborhood development with adequate space set aside for parks and pedestrian paths. The TND will be connected to the Mall of Louisiana by a walking path and bridge, which factors into Carmouche’s decision to place retail third on the development’s list of priorities, behind residential and office space. For more details about The Grove and The High Grove, including renderings, check out the development’s website here. —Adam Pearson