Bardwell Returns to Build on Highland Road
In 2003, Bardwell developed Providence, a community along Highland Road distinct from most Baton Rouge developments at the time. We sat down with Remson Haley Architects and drew something different. And we planned out the city’s first alley-lot community in decades, designed to complement the land and its natural beauty. We planted street trees. We studied where the light fell. And we worked diligently to protect the historic live oaks that had been standing long before any of us arrived.
Those oaks still remain. And many of the original families who moved into Providence still call it home.
Dozens of developments across the region followed Providence’s lead. Because what we helped start there was not just the alley-lot format or the attention to streetscape, it was our insistence that a neighborhood should feel like something more. You don’t always notice it until you’re driving through a community and thinking, this feels right, without being quite sure why.
Now, twenty-three years later, we’re back on Highland Road. This time as a featured builder at Benton at Magnolia Woods.
Why Highland Road Corridor Earns Its Reputation
There are so many factors that homebuyers searching for new-construction homes in Baton Rouge consider. Location, design quality, and neighborhood planning are often the most important priorities. These elements converge beautifully throughout the Highland Road Corridor, offering a rare balance of convenience and character. Canopied in mature oaks and situated between established neighborhoods, there’s a tangible sense that the people who built here were thinking beyond the next five years.
Benton at Magnolia Woods fits right into that story. Positioned just off Highland Road, the community was planned with the same intention we bring to every project: walkability first, creative use of shared green space, and architectural continuity that keeps a neighborhood from feeling rushed or haphazard. When you drive through a development where the homes feel like they belong together, you’re experiencing the result of intentional planning.
What Bardwell Is Building in Benton
As a featured builder within Benton at Magnolia Woods, we’re offering a select collection of homes designed by JDE Architects that reflect the same careful thinking we put into every project, scaled for the way families in South Louisiana actually live.
These are homes with room to breathe. Open living spaces with high-end finishes designed for the kind of everyday entertaining that doesn’t require an occasion. Practical layouts that support a busy household without making you feel like you’re always navigating around yourselves. The kind of proportions that feel right the first time you walk through and years after you’ve settled in.
At a Glance
| Square Footage | ~ 2,700 – 3,000 SF |
| Stories | One- and two-story plans |
| Garage | Enclosed two-car |
| Architectural Standard | Benton design guidelines |
| Pricing | From the $800s |
| Currently Available | 18 Homesites |
A $1,000 deposit secures your price prior to contract. Reserve your lot now.
What It Means to Invest in Character
We’ve said it before, and it’s worth repeating: a home shouldn’t be an island. The way a neighborhood is laid out matters. Consider where the sidewalks lead, how the porches face the street, and whether there’s a place to gather that doesn’t require driving somewhere. These features shape how connected people feel long after the move-in boxes are unpacked, not to mention long-term satisfaction and investment potential.
Benton at Magnolia Woods includes a two-acre park with a pond at its center. There’s mixed-use commercial space planned for the community as well, including a building intended for hospitality and lifestyle offerings. These amenities are evidence of a developer who thought about what it means to live here, not just what it means to buy here.
Add walkable streets, planned infrastructure, and proximity to Highland Road Community Park with its 144 acres of trails, athletic fields, and open space; then you have a neighborhood designed for people who want to be outside, and who want their neighbors to feel like neighbors.
Premier Location in South Baton Rouge
Two miles from LSU. Easy access to Interstate 10. Minutes from the restaurants, groceries, and specialty shops along Highland Road and Burbank Drive. Benton at Magnolia Woods sits inside an established residential corridor that rarely opens up for new construction. The established character of the area, combined with limited new inventory, makes Benton a straightforward opportunity for buyers who know what this part of Baton Rouge is worth.
Build for the Long Run at Benton
Some things are worth saying plainly. We know what new construction sometimes looks like: rushed, impersonal, built to a minimum standard that will start showing its age in five years. That’s not what we do, and it’s not what Benton at Magnolia Woods is. Beyond the homes themselves, Benton at Magnolia Woods has been planned to create a neighborhood with a strong sense of place.
From the ceiling height, how natural light moves through a room, the flow from the kitchen to the back of the house, we make every decision with the understanding that someone is going to live in this home for a long time. Quality isn’t a box on a checklist. It’s a commitment that runs through every stage of a build, well past what’s required.
The live oaks on Highland Road have been standing for a hundred years. We try to build homes that belong in their company.
Ready to Reserve Your Homesite?
Eighteen homesites. A community worth coming back to. If you’re ready to have a conversation about what Bardwell is building at Benton at Magnolia Woods, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Bardwell Homes to learn more or reserve your homesite today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Benton at Magnolia Woods located?
Off Highland Road in East Baton Rouge Parish, in the southern portion of the city. Easy access to LSU, Interstate 10, and the shopping and dining along Highland Road and Burbank Drive.
How many homesites are available through Bardwell?
Eighteen homesites are currently available. A $1,000 deposit locks in your price before contract.
Who is building homes at Benton at Magnolia Woods?
Bardwell Homes is a featured builder in the community, offering a limited collection of homes designed to align with the architectural standards and overall vision of Benton at Magnolia Woods.
When will infrastructure be complete?
Street and underground infrastructure work is underway and expected to be completed by March 2026, clearing the way for home construction to proceed.
How close is the community to LSU?
Approximately two miles. That means close enough that you can make it to a game without a plan, and far enough that the neighborhood stays quiet during contraflow.
Are there parks nearby?
Yes. The community itself will include a two-acre park with a pond. Highland Road Community Park — 144 acres with trails, sports fields, and open recreational space — is nearby as well.
Why is Highland Road such a desirable location?
It’s one of Baton Rouge’s most established residential corridors. Mature trees, proximity to the university, access to the interstate, and a neighborhood character that took decades to build. That’s not something you replicate in a new development on the edge of town.
