The land on which the Agritopia development sits is the farmland where Joe Johnston, the Town founder, was raised. By the late 1990s, with development encroaching, Joe Johnston sought to preserve the land. In 2000, Agritopia was born as a village to honor the town’s agricultural roots.
Johnston envisioned a walkable development that attracted people of all ages. In the ensuing two decades, Agritopia has filled in with a farm, a community garden, single-family residential homes, a senior living community, a private school, Joe’s Farm Grill restaurant, the Coffee Shop at Agritopia, and the Barnone maker space for local crafters.
LRK was commissioned to design the final piece of the puzzle, a true urban town center to the community, called EpiCenter. Epicenter was designed to create a community with village life and everyday activity, where people are known and not anonymous, where people of all ages and all stages can mix. In addition to the residential, ground floor commercial space will serve the town residents, focusing on local restaurants, health services, and the best of Arizona culture.