Excellerate Housing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Excellerate Foundation, announced today that a new affordable rental development named McAuley Place will be coming to Bentonville in late 2025. McAuley Place is the result of a public/private partnership among Excellerate Housing, affordable housing developer Strategic Realty, and Mercy Health Northwest Arkansas Communities.

“Nowhere is the affordable housing crisis more prevalent in the region than in Bentonville”, said Jeff Webster, President/CEO of Excellerate Foundation. “The people who are the core of Bentonville—the public servants, the retail workers, the restaurant staff, paramedical professionals, and more—can’t afford to live in the city that they serve. We can’t turn our backs on the people who help make Bentonville the amazing place that it is.”

Located at the corner of SW I Street and SW 41st Street, McAuley Place is a multifamily rental development that is part of the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. It will serve approximately 200 families who make between 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI)—$28,000 to $55,000 annually for a family of four in 2023—while providing multiple amenities within walking distance, including schools, grocery stores, and a Mercy medical clinic. The Northwest Arkansas Greenway borders the site, while the Bentonville Community Center sits across the street.

This prime location was made possible by Mercy Health Northwest Arkansas Communities, which sold the land to Excellerate Foundation at below market rate. The Foundation then donated it to the project.

“Giving back to the community we serve is a priority,” says Scott Cooper, MD, Regional Physician Executive for Mercy Health Northwest Arkansas Communities. “It’s built into our DNA, ever since the founding of Mercy Health by the Sisters of Mercy. In fact, Sister Lisa Atkins was the main driver for this project and suggested the name ‘McAuley Place’ in honor of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy.”

In its first phase, McAuley Place will provide approximately 60 rental units with either one, two, or three bedrooms. Rents are projected to be between $450 and $800 per month, which will be largely protected for the next 35 years by federal and state guidelines. This means that these Bentonville residents will see an estimated $21M in rental savings over the life of the project. And that number will only go up as the subsequent phases are completed.

“Too many hardworking people in Bentonville have to spend greater than 30% of their household income on rent,” says Jim Petty, President of Strategic Realty, the developer of McAuley Place and long-time fixture in the affordable housing industry. “The number of ‘rent burdened’ households in Bentonville has doubled in the past decade, with more and more of them having to choose between paying rent or paying for food or transportation or medical bills. That’s a choice no family should have to make.”

However, the impact of McAuley Place is not just limited to the renters. The development is also bringing much to Bentonville at large.

“For Phase I of McAuley Place, the coalition has brought in $8.8 million—through a combination of federal and state funding, land donation, and other philanthropic support—to directly reduce the rent for the Bentonville workforce”, said Webster. "Using the National Home Builders Association’s assessment tools, the economic impact of McAuley Place Phase I on Bentonville is estimated at $11 million. While the Bentonville City Council voted against joining the coalition at this time, we still believe their participation is integral to the long term growth and sustainability of affordable housing in Bentonville, as well as the resulting benefits for Bentonville workers and the city as a whole."

“McAuley Place is a testament to what we can achieve when people who want change and action come together,” said Petty. “It’s public/private partnerships like this one that can help us solve seemingly impossible problems, like affordable housing, one step at a time.”

Residents can expect to be moved in by the end of 2025.