New York design studio wins global recognition for innovative urban development in south Fayetteville

An economic development project announced this past summer in south Fayetteville has earned international recognition for its design.

In November, Rethinking the Future (RFA), an architecture and design platform based in New Delhi, announced the results of its Global Architecture & Design Awards 2023 competition. The global competition recognizes projects showcasing excellence and innovation.

New York City-based design studio OSD (Office of Strategy and Design) was named the urban design (concept) winner.

RFA bestowed the award to OSD for its work on a 230-acre site on South Cato Springs Road near Kessler Mountain Regional Park.

The Cato Springs project broke ground in June. It aims to provide a comprehensive living environment through housing, employment and services. The envisioned community will encompass various components, including workforce housing and a vibrant town square.

“This is one of the most significant economic development projects to ever [happen] in the city of Fayetteville,” Mayor Lioneld Jordan said at the time. “Because it’s tackling a significant issue, ensuring our neurodiverse residents get healthcare, job skills training and employment and housing opportunities they deserve.”

Cato Springs will also be the future home for SLS Community, a Fayetteville nonprofit focused on empowering neurodivergent adults with the necessary tools for growth and fulfillment.

Ashton McCombs IV is SLS’ executive director. His parents, Ashton and Betts McCombs, established SLS Community in 2016.

“To be clear, this is not a neurodivergent development,” McCombs said at the groundbreaking. “South Cato Springs is the venue where SLS will scale. The philosophical bent of this project is towards inclusion and understanding the relationship between neurodivergent adults and the broader community. We intend not to create an institution tucked away, hidden or isolated. It will be fully immersed in a live/work/play community that serves the whole region.”

In 2024, SLS Community is focused on a growth campaign to launch and expand residential and day services for neurodiverse adults in Fayetteville as a first step in scaling as a service provider while the development of the Cato Springs project is ongoing. That includes near-term efforts to gain national and Medicaid waiver accreditation.

A cornerstone of the project will be a medical clinic and center of excellence that will accommodate the special needs of the neurodiverse population. The sponsors of the center are planning a roundtable with regional leaders to discuss these plans in mid-April.

Moreover, the development will integrate urban agricultural areas and open recreational spaces that connect with the region’s existing bike trails.

Focus Commercial Real Estate in Bentonville is the Cato Springs development partner. Matt Zakaras, an entrepreneur from Chicago, is the lead investor in the development entity — South Cato Springs Holdings LLC, which bought the land in 2019 for $6 million.