Plans are moving closer to reality for a corporate retreat at the northwestern edge of Lawrence.

Developers are seeking approval of a site plan for The Woods at Rockwall Farms, a 187-acre project along the north side of the Farmers’ Turnpike, about a mile southeast of Lecompton.

The site would be accessible from East 700 Road, at an entrance 1.5 miles west of the South Lawrence Trafficway.

While there’s no firm date scheduled for construction, the site plan lays the groundwork for a complex with 42 buildings tucked into a wooded area intended for corporate retreats, weddings and other special events.

The project would be expected to begin with an initial phase expected to cost $4 million, with a final “build out” that could approach $10 million, said Paul Werner, project architect.

“It’s really close to the city, but it’s knee-deep in a rural environment,” Werner said. “Companies are trying to get out of town and get away from the hustle and bustle. Here you can go a short distance away … to get away for the weekend and not go away.”

Seeking approval of the site plan is Rockwall Farms LC, an ownership group that includes Tim, Thomas and Andy Fritzel.

The plan is being reviewed by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Office, and could be forwarded to Douglas County commissioners for approval in August, said Mary Miller, a city-county planner.

Upon approval of a site plan, she said, Rockwall Farms would have two years to start construction.

As planned, The Woods would include:

• Forty individual cabins, each including a kitchenette and either one or two bedrooms.

• A two-story lodge building that would feature a large banquet center, kitchen and meeting space designed to accommodate corporate meetings, weddings and other such events. The lodge also would have 40 guest suites. A pool would be out back, overlooking a nearby pond.

• An adjacent restaurant and lounge, a building with 20 guest suites. The restaurant would be open to the general public, Werner said, but likely operate on a limited schedule.

• An area outdoors for sports activities, plus parking.

“It’s something we really don’t have in the county,” Miller said. “It fits a need.”