June 20, 2022

The 180-acre property that once held an auto salvage yard is being turned into a large-scale east-side development.

The area north of Arrowhead Parkway and west of Six Mile Road is owned by Signature Cos., which is preparing it for a mix of multifamily, single-family and commercial development.

Called Willows Edge – it’s not far from Willow Run Golf Course – “the whole thing is graded, and now we’re working on specific parcels and putting in utilities and really starting to pull the trigger on many housing units,” owner Clint Ackerman said.

“It’s going really well. We’ve got a lot that’s going to go there.”

At one point, the area was Arndt’s Wreck-King, a salvage yard for auto parts. In the late 2000s, developers from the Twin Cities brought a plan forward for the property, but it never materialized.

Signature’s concept calls for commercial development along Arrowhead Parkway, likely a mix of office, retail and restaurants.

His own corporate office also will be part of the project.

“We’re growing and expanding, so we’re going to expand to between 11,000 and 12,000 square feet,” he said.

The first piece of the development, Willows Edge Commons, already is well underway. Built in phases, it includes tradition and town home-style apartments and is scheduled to be built out by the end of the year.

About 30 acres are designated as commercial, according to Zach Jacobsen, finance broker at Signature.

“One lot in particular on the corner of Arrowhead and East 10th we feel like is a good spot for a convenience store, so we have a LOI (letter of intent) out and are waiting on a purchase agreement,” he said. “And along Arrowhead, south of the creek, we’ll have a large four-story apartment complex and our new office going out there, and hopefully we’ll be in by this time next year.”

There is a full-service restaurant committed to the southeast end of the property and plenty of room for a variety of other uses, Jacobsen said.

“We have a bunch of capabilities out there,” he said. “Right now, it’s kind of a blank slate. If someone wanted to come put a larger office complex or restaurant, we have a ton of availability with great exposure along Arrowhead.”

There likely also will be multitenant retail centers and potentially a child care center.

“It’s going to really serve people,” Jacobsen said. “We just know there’s a need in the area for restaurants, shopping, and being so close to Dawley (Farm Village) is going to be nice.”

The next stages of residential development likely will include a 140-unit traditional apartment complex, a 117-unit rental town home complex, 40 to 50 town homes for sale, 10 to 15 villas for sale and about 50 new single-family homes. Willows Edge is located in the Brandon Valley School District.

Homes likely will be “career housing” and priced between $300,000 and $400,000, Jacobsen said.

“That’s where our niche is. We go where the demand is,” he said. “I think as everything gets moving, we’re going to see a lot more demand out there. It’s going to be sought after.”