Construction has started for a multimillion-dollar high-end apartment complex in east Bartlett.
Louisiana-based property management firm Stoa Group broke ground Sept. 2 on The Waters at Bartlett project, according to Blake Brinson, director of development for Stoa Group. The $61 million mixed-use development will consist of 312 luxury apartments in three-story buildings on 27 acres as well as seven acres of commercial/retail space.
The development will be located at the northeast corner of New Brunswick Road and U.S. 64, bordering Lakeside Behavioral Health System.
Brinson said the Stoa Group purchased the 27 acres for $4 million. The company closed on the land
Aug. 28. The Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved, 4-2, a request for a mixed-use, special use permit by the Stoa Group in August 2025.
A 113,000-square-foot Hy-Vee grocery store had once been planned for part of the site. Stoa Group’s infrastructure improvement included eliminating the intersection at New Brunswick Road and Brunswick Road, rerouting the path through the development and renaming the road as Waters Run Boulevard.
“I think the city (of Bartlett) is excited about that, and we’re excited about it because we think it creates a strong access point into a greater development,” Brinson said.
From the time the firm identified the site until it closed on the land, the permitting process took about 27 months, Brinson said.
A traffic signal will be installed where Waters Run Boulevard meets New Brunswick Road so it can be a controlled intersection, according to Brinson.
The Waters at Bartlett development is expected to take two years to build with a projected completion date of fall or winter of 2028 for all phases of construction. Brinson said the first units are expected to be completed or come online towards the end of 2027, while Stoa will likely start accepting residents during that time frame.
“We’ll start welcoming residents and hopefully some of the commercial will be online or under construction by then as well,” Brinson said.
What should people expect at The Waters at Bartlett
Brinson stated The Waters at Bartlett will consist of 132 one-bedroom units, 144 two-bedroom units and 36 three-bedroom units. The rates will be $1,650 a month for one-bedroom, $1,850 a month for two-bedroom and $2,250 a month for a three-bedroom unit. The development is touted as a walkable, luxury community with resident access to nearby neighborhood retail.
“The first thing to highlight about this project is just the connectivity within the 27 acres,” Brinson said. “We’re going to have walkways that connect the commercial to the apartment community. So, providing really a nice ease of access for the residents to be able to access commercial as well as the commercial to be able to have that built in consumer base basically right in their backyard.”
Commercial, retail component to take shape
The commercial component will be on almost 7-acres and notable Memphis-based firm Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate will be in charge of managing and leasing the commercial space at the site. Brinson said they don’t have any signed contracts at this time.
“We had a couple of groups show interest, but we don’t have anything concrete yet,” Brinson said. “It’s really important for us that it’s high quality commercial users, so we want to be very selective with who we allow to come in and development there. The city is excited about added commercial in Bartlett and we want it be very complimentary to the residents that are living in the apartments. We’re continuing to accept offers and we’ll vet those as they come in.”
The variety of amenities at The Waters at Bartlett will consist of a 8,000-square-foot clubhouse with a full-service leasing and maintenance staff onsite. The clubhouse will include kitchen area for residents to gather as well as a game room, coffee bar, fitness center, and co-working spaces. There will also be a resort-style pool just behind the clubhouse as well as a dog park and mail room at The Waters at Bartlett.
“This community will also have about 36 gated yards on a number of first floor units,” Brinson said. Those are privacy yards on a number of units that will be an option for residents.”
Why Stoa Group wanted to develop in Bartlett
Brinson stated one of the things that attracted the Stoa Group to Bartlett was the demographics in the city. The company thinks this is the opportunity to provide luxury living for people who are moving into the city, who might be not be ready to buy a house.
“Professionals are typically the demographics that we see living in our apartments that are between the ages of 22 to 39 years old and making strong incomes,” Brinson said. “This is going to provide a nice housing alternative for those individuals."
The Stoa Group also believe it’s adding something similar to what the under constructed $200 million Union Depot mixed-use developmentoff U.S. 70 is bringing to Bartlett.
“We thinking the city is getting first generation commercial space in a mixed-use community, and I think Union Depot is providing something great down the road,” Brinson said. “We’re looking to do something similar. We’re excited about the access that this project has to Highway (U.S.) 64 and I-40. The proximity to those major thoroughfares and access back to Memphis and out towards the opposite direction on I-40. I think it’s going to be a great addition to the city.”
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Construction begins on $61 million luxury apartment complex in Bartlett
