300-unit housing complex to include Alice L. Walton School of Medicine students

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by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) ago 0 views 

The Alice L. Walton Foundation said construction will start soon on a 300-unit apartment complex adjacent to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) in Bentonville. Construction costs were not disclosed.

According to a press release, the 11-acre complex at 1100 and 1102 N.E. J. St. will include two buildings, one for medical students and the other for area residents. The units will range from studio to two-bedroom apartments.

The apartment complex is expected to open in 2026. The medical school is set to welcome its first class of 48 students in July 2025, pending accreditation

The student housing will allow those attending AWSOM to walk to school and easily access trails and other nearby amenities. Residents also will have access to bike storage spaces.

The architecture and landscape teams that designed the medical school building and grounds also designed the apartment complex. Polk Stanley Wilcox in Fayetteville is the architect. OSD (Office of Strategy + Design) in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the landscape architect. CEI Engineering Associates in Bentonville is the engineer.

“OSD designed a park-like setting to surround the buildings, harmonizing with the extensive gardens and grounds the firm designed for AWSOM,” the release notes. “The eastern side of the property features a natural woodland that slopes into a valley, and the landscape is designed to enhance these elements, with ponds, walking trails and a variety of spaces for personal reflection or group gatherings.

“Opportunities for recreation and relaxation reinforce the principles of whole health (physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being) and are a central feature of the broader Crystal Bridges campus and a focus of both the school and the neighboring Heartland Whole Health Institute.”

Asked about the cost to build the apartment complex, a spokeswoman said no information was available. Also, it’s not part of the recently announced $700 million investment to expand health care access, reduce costs and improve outcomes in the central United States. That collaboration includes the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Mercy, Heartland Whole Health Institute and Cleveland Clinic.