August 03, 2015

Washington Gates


By John Wood
– Commercial Appeal –

Doug Dickens of Boyle Investment Co. has a dream, and it’s called . You can describe it as Old Town, you can call it nostalgic or you can just label it circa 1900, but it’s actually a collection of new homes that will be designed to embrace the traditional architecture of Collierville’s Town Square and match the ambiance of the area.

“Even though we’re not in the historic district, we plan to stay true to history,” Dickens said about the style of homes planned for . “In fact, we want to set the standard for redevelopment in the Collierville historic area.”

A scant 1-1/2 blocks east of the historic Collierville Town Square down Washington Street, the area will be limited to 16 home sites with home prices ranging from $390K to $500K and home sizes expected to vary from 2,000 to 3,500 square feet depending on the size and location of the lot selected by the buyer. True to its design goals to mirror a bygone era, the planned brick and cement-siding homes will feature wide porches, big windows and lots of gabled roofs.

Amenities planned for the gated community will include an attractive water fountain, turn-around drive, a creek that runs through the center of the property and under a decorative stone bridge, lots of mature trees and a signature neighborhood gathering area located in one of the development’s common open spaces.

Dickens says the gathering area will be unique in that it will be circular with an 18-inch high stone seating wall, yard lights, its own small parking lot, stone columns at its entrance and an outdoor fireplace and grill.

“The gathering/ conversation area will be the focal point of the development and will be ideal for outdoor gatherings, community meetings and maybe even some weddings,” Dickens said.

But the major attraction to , Dickens believes, will be the development’s proximity to Collierville’s historic Town Square. Within a five-minute walk, homeowners will be able to enjoy some of the area’s best dining establishments, take advantage of the many services offered by Town Square vendors and visit the offices, churches and shops on the square to purchase ice cream, coffee, hardware, books, baked goods, apparel, furniture, real estate, flowers, home improvement products and even do their banking.

The civic nature of the nearby square will also benefit residents of with the Collierville police, fire station, post office and middle school in the immediate vicinity.

Residents of will also be in a convenient location to attend many of the community events planned for the Collierville Town Square including the Town Tree Lighting ceremony, Fair on the Square, Sunset on the Square summer concert series, Treats on the Square on Halloween, the Mulberry-fest Arts and Crafts on the Square event, Shade Tree Picking bluegrass music sit-ins, Magic on Main Street and the annual Christmas in Collierville celebration.

Preparation for the opening of are still being made with the lots expected to be available for purchase beginning in the late fall of this year or in the spring of 2010.