zman9810

This is fascinating. I can't figure if the intent is for it to be used by the athletic department or to be sold for commercial/residential development for profit. I don't remember the Foundation ever being involved in real estate in that manner but what need does the athletic department have for the land?

Here's a link that may have been posted before but here it is again - the Connecting Arkansas Program page for the Northern Springdale Bypass from I49 to Hwy 112 project. I guess the large number of bridges are needed so that each county road will have a connection across the freeway. Something I haven't seen addressed is whether rightaway for frontage roads is in the plan. I49 would have benefitted greatly if frontage roads had been planned for when it was first conceived. Now development has made I49 frontage roads very difficult to be built.http://connectingarkansasprogram.com/corridors/21/highway-412-benton-county/#.VJ4e5BcAGA

The access road is getting closer to becoming a reality. The state highway department is close to starting work on the Northern Springdale bypass section from I49 to Hwy 112. Seems the road will be extended past 112 to the spot where it will link with the actual access road when it is built. It always amazes me just how expensive this type road work is- $100 million plus for 4 miles of highway with exchanges. The time to construct it is said to be 4 years which also is surprising- seems like a drawn out schedule. Guess that is the price of progress, though.

Looks like Bank of the Ozarks is making a big push into NWA. There's a branch planned for banker's row on Joyce in Fayetteville, one on west Sunset in Springdale and I saw a sign for another one somewhere but can't remember where.

Thanks. Can't wait to see what they have planned.

The paper had an article about a 30,000 sq ft office bldg. planned for the Tyson Parkway/ I49 area- anyone know more about it?

I'm surprised the owners are planning to appeal to the City Council. The Commission sent a clear message that a different zoning is preferred in that area. If the Council reverses a 8-0 decision it shows no faith in the planning process. The owners should be working with the City to find common ground instead of fighting the decision. They should go back to WM and work with them to find a solution that fits the what is needed to make the project happen.

Oh yeah, taking the traffic load off N. College/ Joyce is the ultimate goal. It would be the best solution to have a on/off ramp solution from Fulbright to Joyce but that would be cost prohibitive. A simple off ramp from Fulbright to Sain to Vantage is doable and I think is the ultimate plan.

It's interesting to read that Fayetteville has received cash to study extending Sain St. to Joyce Blvd. in north Fayetteville but what is exactly the plan? Extending Sain St. to Joyce without a ramp off Fulbright Expressway to Sain would overload the Milsap /North College intersection. I'm sure I missed the exact plan but to eliminate the crossover traffic of drivers wanting to exit from the Fulbright Expressway onto Joyce Blvd eastbound there will have to be an off ramp from Fulbright to Sain to Vantage.

Somewhere on the Internet there is a planning map showing an extension of Joyce Blvd. to a new interchange at the top of the hill south of the Johnson exit. I think it is a City of Fayetteville creation but might be a NWARPC long range map. Either way- such an interchange is needed to really open up the Steele Crossing area to development.

There is a sign for a 33,000 sq. ft. strip mall on Van Asche behind the old Fuddruckers building. I don't remember hearing anything about it in the news but its where a hotel was planned many years ago- guess that fell through. Seems like the extension to Hwy 112 is already paying off.

That's true though even Lindsey does lease space out in his building. Fayetteville doesn't have that big corporation like a Walmart or Tyson to build a namesake building and I can't think of any other firm in town that could. Anyway- I hope the demand is created before it becomes an area of all low rise development.

Wouldn't even have to be the 12 and 16 story buildings, just something more than 2 floors. Lindsey built one.

That makes sense. That K&G doesn't offer nearly the selections that the new ones do. I don't think there is a liquor store yet in Lowell and that would be a prime spot for one.

More low rise. It would nice to see more vertical development in an area where it would most likely be approved by planners and fought not by neighbors.

There's activity at the Bellafonte site off Joyce Blvd. where Barber had his office towers planned. It look like simply cleanup work but maybe something is in the works??? That is still a premier location in Fayetteville for class a office space.

There was a Lowell topic but it has been archived so I'll post this here- Rogers is close. The old convenience store and car wash are being removed at the NW corner of Hwy 71b and Monroe in Lowell. This is the corner with the Village Plaza strip mall. Anything planned there or they just making it more attractive for someone to buy?

That's good to hear. I remember when they removed the Mary Maestri's building there were plans for a nice development but that was before the big downturn. Tontitown is a small town as population goes but it's land area is huge. If they don't get a handle on how it develops now it will lead to bigger problems down the road. I get the impression that there is so much infighting that no one is thinking long term planning. Maybe a group like the NWA Regional Planning Commission could lend a hand if they were asked- I know that isn't really what they do but it would be worth trying.

All good info! The official WM Supercenter opening is indeed 8-13-14. That is going to be a major event for that area. Nothing against liquor stores but I really hoped that site at the major NWA intersection of Hwy's 412 and 112 would be a better planned development. Tontitiown as is it is currently governed is a pox on NWA. It is the Springdale of old as far as development regulations are concerned. It sad to see subdivisions of $200,000+ homes being built next door to sheet metal buildings that will be constantly turned over in the market. That being said: the subdivision just south of Tontitown's city park is seeing major development with approximately 20 lots in some construction phase. Hopefully some semblance of sane government will return to Tontitown in the near future- otherwise it is likely poor decisions now will lead to major problems in the future.

I bet they will wait awhile before doing traffic counts at College/Joyce just so people will get used to the change. If you are going to anyplace along the frontage road its a big help. That direct connection to I49 would help a lot in Steele Crossing filling up. That area including the NWA Mall is still responsible for a lot of the sales tax revenue that the City collects so we need to try and compete at least. There will always be Benton County residents that want to check out the neighbors to the south and what is new down here. We just need to make it convenient for them.

I don't usually have a reason to use the new North College flyover path but I did today just because. It brought a smile to my face! This will open up the Steele Crossing area like never before and with the Van Asche extension project should spur development in that area. The reduction of left turning vehicles at northbound College and Joyce Bvld.is amazing. The community and state leaders that made this possible should pat themselves on the back. There is still work to be done, obviously. A direct connection between I49 and Joyce Bvld. is essential for the Steele Crossing/ NWA Mall area to reach its full potential. The city/state needs to provide that direct connection so that the residents of the NWA metro living north of Fayetteville have the easiest possible path to spend their money in the city. A flyover connecting Fulbright Expressway to Vantage via Sain is also a obvious need. The traffic exiting Fulbright and wanting to continue east on Joyce still has to veer across several lanes of traffic on North College in order to do so. That flyover would help create a much needed east/ west corridor that Fayetteville has a severe lack of.

Its a small image but it illustrates the path taken when exiting I49 southbound at the Tyson Parkway interchange. To get to Arvest Park one has to curve back around to the north and stop before crossing the southside lanes of Tyson Parkway and turning left.

The half cloverleaf design was used because of the old landfill under I49 just south of the interchange. They didn't want to put the ramps over it. That stretch over the landfill has caused many accidents over the years. Hopefully when the widening project comes through they will fix that once and for all.

I like the idea that they are thinking big and expanding the idea of what a library is. The larger auditorium space is a great idea- it is obvious that it is needed seeing that the current small space is very inadequate for what it used for. The idea of selling of part of the property to build row house residences in order to raise money to fund the rest of the project is a good one. I agree that Fayetteville needs a municipal aquatic center beyond Wilson Park's swimming pool but don't think this site would be a good fit for it. If and when such a center is built it will be likely be out at the new park south of town. Not the ideal site IMO but most likely.

I think that is exactly right- its more on the merits (or whims of the council, depending on how you look at it) of the particular project. This is one project that is likely to be approved for a higher than allowed by ordinance level. The Ren Tower would have been 18 floors and height was never the issue with it. It has been mentioned several times by community leaders that this is the spot for a landmark building that adds to the skyline.