Culver's is bringing its ButterBurgers to the Greater Memphis area for the first time, and Lakeland will get the honor of hosting it. The Wisconsin-based fast-casual chain has been named the first announced commercial tenant of the Ashmont mixed-use project, a massive development taking shape just north of the Interstate 40 and Canada Road interchange at Canada and Davies Plantation Boulevard.
The news comes from a report by Michael Waddell published Thursday in The Daily Memphian, which pegs Ashmont as a $220 million mixed-use project and confirms Culver's as its first publicly named retail or restaurant commitment. Until now, the development had moved forward without any confirmed names attached to its planned shopping and dining space, so landing a recognizable national chain marks a notable step for the project.
A Development Years in the Making
Ashmont has been a long time coming. Local developer Vince Smith purchased the property earlier in 2023 after it had previously been owned by John Hyneman, according to a report from TSCG. By the afternoon of June 21, 2023, heavy equipment had begun arriving on-site and minor ground-clearing work was already underway, the same report noted.
Since then, the project has continued to inch forward. The Lakeland Municipal Planning and Design Review Commission endorsed a preliminary development plan for the project's newest phase, per the dailymemphian.com report on that approval. That same coverage describes the site as Lakeland's 100-acre Ashmont project, while the earlier TSCG report on the property's clearance described it as a 99-acre property situated at the intersection of Beverle Rivera and Canada Road — a discrepancy in the two outlets' reported acreage that has not been resolved.
What's Planned for the Site
Whatever its exact footprint, Ashmont's scope is ambitious. The development will feature a retail section with stores, restaurants, and potentially a new grocery store, according to Lakeland Currents. An updated design for the project also includes larger single-family residential lots in the northern section and an increased focus on senior living housing, per the TSCG report on the property's clearance, alongside retail space and two hotel locations.
Not all of the acreage will be developed. Of the total 100 acres, 23 acres will remain untouched and are expected to eventually be dedicated to a conservation group, Lakeland Currents reported. As of that same report, Ashmont remained in its early stages, with land still being cleared and graded for future construction.
Road Work and Regional Momentum
Infrastructure upgrades nearby are meant to keep pace with Ashmont's growth. The New Canada Road expansion project is designed to enhance safety, alleviate congestion, and accommodate Lakeland's projected growth over the next 20 years, according to a separate Lakeland Currents report on the road work.
The timing also lines up with a broader building boom across the region. There are currently 20 mixed-use projects underway in the Mid-South area, according to TSCG's report on local retail market strength, and roughly 80% of the available commercial space at Ashmont specifically was already in the letter-of-interest phase or further along, per that same report. Last year the Memphis market absorbed more than 850,000 square feet of retail space while only 300,000 square feet was newly built, the report added — a gap suggesting plenty of appetite for projects like Ashmont to fill.
For now, Culver's remains the headline name tied to Ashmont's commercial future. The Daily Memphian's report marks the first time a specific retailer or restaurant has been publicly confirmed for the site, giving Lakeland residents a tangible preview of what the sprawling project along Canada Road is starting to become.
