A 3D-printed housing development said to be the first of its kind in Arkansas is moving forward, the Rogers Lowell Chamber announced.
The Rogers City Council recently approved the $50,000 sale of an acre of land for the project, which will use 3D-printed concrete to construct at least four two-story duplexes with eight units apiece. The duplexes will range from 1,300 SF to 1,600 SF.
Construction is scheduled to begin in late spring or summer, with occupancy targeted by late 2024.
Groundwork Northwest Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council’s workforce housing center, is leading the project. The organization is collaborating with Alquist 3D of Greeley, Colorado, which is known for using robotic technology capable of building a 1,500-SF home in 30 hours.
The project at 920 S. First Street near downtown Rogers aims to help address the region’s lack of affordable housing. The homes will be sold to buyers who earn below more than 80% of the area’s median income.
Home prices in northwest Arkansas have surged as the region’s population has grown. In Benton County, where Rogers is located, the average sale price in the second half of 2022 was $423,564, up more than 77% from five years ago.
“We’ve got to look for ways to build more efficiently that will bring these building costs down,” Duke McLarty, director of Arkansas Groundworks, told Arkansas Business news partner KFSM.
People looking to rent have few options. The multifamily vacancy rate in the region is “functionally zero,” according to the latest Arvest Bank Skyline Report.
Groundwork is also behind a housing development in Springdale called “Big Emma.” Thirty of the development’s 77 units will be permanently reserved for households earning below the region’s median income. The project is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.