Community planned for 600 acres along West Harpeth River

A development of nearly 70 houses is coming to a roughly 600-acre Franklin site located along the West Harpeth River and once owned by Nashville's Ingram family.

According to a release, construction will begin on infrastructure work and homesites will be listed for sale beginning early 2024 for the future community, Wyelea (pronounced WHY-lee). The development will offer 68 homes on land ranging from under an acre and up to 10 acres and include a private club.

West Harpeth Partners, which will undertake the development, acquired the land in 2021 for approximately $28.1 million. The address is 3021 Del Rio Pike.

Wyelea is slated to include nature-focused recreational elements such as equestrian facilities, fishing spots, kayak and canoe launches, a lake, trails and community gardens.

The release notes the development is planned to be low-density with 200 of the nearly 600 acres placed into a conservation easement with The Land Trust for Tennessee to preserve the natural habitat. More than half of the property is to be preserved as green space.

West Harpeth Partners has not disclosed the cost to undertake the project.

Orrin Ingram said in the release the Ingram family never intended to develop the site when it paid about $20.35 million for it in 2016, according to Williamson County property records.

“The idea of a low-impact community with equestrian facilities really spoke to us,” Ingram said in the release. “Our family has championed land conservation for many years, so the opportunity to place a substantial portion of the land into a conservation easement was important to us. We couldn’t be happier with the plan that the development team has brought forth.”

West Harpeth Partners' team is led by Trevor Cross, who previously undertook master planned communities while working at Southern Land Company and Pearl Street Partners. The other partners are Ryan Moses, an investor and developer involved in other Nashville projects, and Jamie Pfeffer, founding partner of locally based Pfeffer Torode Architecture, which will lead Wyelea’s design.

Daniel Communities will serve as co-developer of Wyelea, overseeing the operation of club amenities and helping to create the master plan. LandDesign of Charlotte will lead land planning and landscape architecture. The local office of Chicago-based Benesch will be the development’s civil engineer.

“Over the years, we’ve studied destinations, architecture, and experiences around the world which have helped us cultivate a refined and timeless vision for Wyelea,” Cross, West Harpeth Partners president, said in the release. “We’ve been methodical in reaching this point to ensure Wyelea is rooted in nature and our values. The collection of the talent working on this project...demonstrates our commitment to developing the highest quality asset possible.”

Wyelea will be gated with 24/7 on-site security and include a concierge team to offer resident services. Other amenities will include fitness studios with personal training; wellness areas including a sauna, hot and cold plunge pools and a salt room; farm-to-table dining at a to-be announced restaurant, bars and speakeasy lounge; a resort style swimming pool; and an activity barn with a basketball court, climbing wall and golf simulator.