cocothief

Yeah its the storage that is holding them back. Storage units must be pretty profitable for them to be crucial to this developer's plans. The developers ran a big full page ad in the Sunday paper urging people to come out and support Bridgedale. I guess it didn't work.

One would think the Terminella building could be had for a song, considering what has happened lately to that company. Given the improvements being made to College Avenue along that stretch, I think pedestrian access would be fine across College Avenue without a skybridge (I hate those things personally). I think the Fullbright Building space is really probably the sexiest office finish-out in town, and the county folks see that and want to work there. I don't blame them. Its pretty swanky and I wouldn't mind working there, either...

I heard about that. My feelings are mixed about this. While I'd like to see the Marvin's property re-developed at a high-quality level, if the county is just going to buy it, and slap "Washington County Courts Annex" or something similar across the front, ala the Tyson buildings referenced in the article, I'd just as soon they leave it alone. I shop at Marvins now. If it closed, central Fayetteville would be losing its only "regular" grocery store. The closest ones to downtown would be Harps in Fiesta Square and over on Garland.

Free Wi-Fi in downtown (east) Rogers starting Thursday: http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/06/...60308rzwifi.txt

Somewhere I saw a layout of the design and I remember that it showed a tree planted median just south of the Dickson Street intersection. Does anybody know where we can see plans?

I heard about that. I have high hopes for this project. I am hoping that when its done, the rest of the city will demand that they complete it all the way down College Avenue. Regardless, its a start on what is long overdue.

Springdale City Council approves BILLBOARD BAN: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/227038/ I'm pretty sure this is what is commonly referred to as a sea change.

Rogers first city to step up to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/227017/ I guess this is a good thing. Hopefully it will accomplish some things for the region.

No, Fayetteville and Springdale are both larger. Perhaps Jonesboro is now, too.

Any actual growth in the central city is great for a city the size and maturity of LR.

I agree with this, but I'd add that WAC serves nowadays to diversify the people and atmosphere on Dickson Street by bringing in a more (truly, not STIR-patronizing) upscale crowd. I think losing WAC would make Dickson more one-dimensional, and some of the nicer places would leave.

Speaking of Garland, the section of the street you mentioned on campus and down to North Street looks fantastic. I drove down it the other day and the Sycamore trees they planted in the median have really taken off. On campus, Garland has become a very shady, pretty, pedestrian-friendly street. I guess Sycamores are fast-growing trees. I really hope N. College looks as good as Garland when its done. I wish ALL of our 4-lane streets in Fayetteville looked that good.

Make the majority of your loans to people and entities in the high-risk category, and NOWHERE is recession proof. The NWA economy (and up to this point, the national economy) is not in a recession. ANB's business practices REQUIRED a booming economy in order remain solvent. They screwed themselves trying to grow their market share too fast.

A friend of mine in sales and I were having this discussion a few days ago, about the little Wal-Mart bubble we live in up here. Aside from the real estate market (which everyone who was paying attention KNEW was overbuilt a few years ago) things aren't that bad in NWA. Aside froms some smaller construction firms and speculative real estate ventures, most people are trucking right along. The money is still flowing into Benton County, and everybody is still getting a paycheck.

Considering the circumstances, I'm sure this building got less of a hassle than a for-profit building would have. I like the design. I think its much more interesting than what was there before.