cozmosis

I believe (but do not know for sure) that the development will be condos or townhouses instead of a traditional apartment-style development. I haven't seen the plans for Tract D (the Kroger site), but I worry that it won't be developed to his fullest potential. It's a large tract of land dead center in the middle of a town with no downtown... no town square... not even a Main Street. If ever there was a place where a "town center" style development would have worked, I think it would have been this one. Instead, I fear it will be just another shopping center.

The area behind Cheers will be a residential development. There was much debate when the zoning was changed on that piece of land to residential because there is not an abundance of commercial property remaining in the city center. However, whether or not there is high demand for the remaining commercial property is debated by many. The building behind Taco Bueno is supposed to be an office building of sorts. What types of offices I do not know.

I was told the store was supposed to open December 2008... and although I have no special sources, that's been the word on the street for some time. The special sections of the newspaper (i.e. River Valley) aren't exactly breaking news and the stories are sometimes prepared in advance. I'm guessing that might be the case here as I'm sure Kroger wanted to be further along than they are now.

I don't know the original projected completion date, but I doubt it was Summer 2006. That would have been highly ambitious considering they didn't start work until third quarter of 2005.

Plans have been announced for a Holiday Inn Express on Arkansas 365 south of I-40 at Morgan. This location, which is the former site of the I-40 Restaurant, is within the city limits of Maumelle. The hotel is scheduled for completion late 2008 or early 2009.

As I understand it, the current target for Wal-Mart is February. I do know there are plans for a Japanese restaurant in that same complex.

The ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend. In grocery-related news, there was nothing new happening in the Harvest Foods building last time I checked. Harvest has moved all of their fixtures out, but no other demolition work has begun. Word on the street is that this is the first time that the city has ever issued a permit for demolition.

The real credit for Wal-Mart goes to an organization known as the Maumelle Citizens Association. If left up to North Little Rock, I'm sure the new Wal-Mart would look no better than the store on McCain. The MCA was very proactive in contacting both Wal-Mart and Kroger and influencing the design of both new stores. Fortunately, both companies listened.

The new Wal-Mart is in North Little Rock. As a general guide, if you're driving in the northbound lanes of Maumelle Blvd., you don't enter Maumelle city limits until you're almost to Riverland Drive (past Wal-Mart and the wooded commerical lots their offering to sell directly behind it). If you are driving in the southbound lanes, Maumelle continues until you get to the intersection of Crystal Hill Road (with First Security Bank). I agree. The lack of teamwork is probably because of a couple of reasons. First, there has been a light rivalry at times in past years over a couple of land issues. I know Maumelle was quite proud when they annexed land out to the old I-40 rest stop because it kept future annexation by NLR from blocking Maumelle's access to the interstate. But also, NLR hasn't exactly paid a whole lot of attention to the western portion of their city that borders Maumelle because it was mostly industrial. They had no reason to make Maumelle Blvd. look nice. Now that we're seeing multi-family development and sales tax generators (i.e. Wal-Mart) in that part of NLR, City Hall tends to look west a bit more. In the last year or so, it seems that there is more cooperation between NLR & Maumelle. I hope we'll continue to see that cooperation in an effort to build the third entrance out to I-40.

Zaxby's is a fast-food chicken-strip sort of place. They opened their first central Arkansas store last year in Maumelle. They have another under construction, I believe, in Sherwood and have plans for several more in the market. And although you can't escape the fact that it is fast food... Their Maumelle store has a "casual dining" feel to it and I've been impressed with their overall operation.

To echo what "theman" said, you're talking about North Little Rock. Nothing you've said, other than the traffic problem, applies once you are in Maumelle proper.

Actually, according to former long-time City Clerk Beverly Masters, the original plan included for a much denser population. As I understand it, the city was originally designed to have "pods" of 10,000 or so residents using a variety of building construction -- including high rises. The west side of Maumelle Blvd. was to be for residential development and the east side, as I understand it, reserved for commercial and industrial property. That's certainly not the mixed-use you are describing, but it is much different than how Maumelle developed. I'm not sure when they first deviated from that plan. Speaking of mixed use, that would have been my dream for the 40 acres where Kroger is building their new store. I'm not sure how that property will develop out... But I think it was the perfect spot for a real attempt at a mixed-use "downtown" for Maumelle.

Taco Bueno is now officially open for business on Savannah Drive next to Zaxby's. I can't imagine that Arby's will be far behind. When I started working in Maumelle five years ago, I think there were only four restaurants within the city limits (Wendy's, Sonic, Lucky's & Lolita's). Through annexation and new development, your tongue now has a choice in Maumelle.

The word on the street is that it's a new Hanks Furniture location.

I should hope. Pat Hays was so happy to be stealing Wally-World from Sherwood that they let Wal-Mart build the most low-rent store possible.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread or not, but plans are floating around for the remodeling of the Harvest Foods at Audubon & Club Manor into a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. I know nothing about Wally World's strategy and tactics, however I do find it interesting that central Arkansas will soon have two locations with SuperCenters and Neighborhood Markets right on top of each other (Sherwood & Maumelle).

Actually, River Pointe Apartments are not in Maumelle. The last developed property along the boulevard inside of Maumelle city limits is First Security Bank. There is a slice of land between the bank and the abandoned junk yard that lies within Maumelle city limits, but everything from the junkyard to I-430 along Hwy. 100 belongs to North Little Rock. The border between the two cities is certainly screwy, though. As you suggested, there are parts of Maumelle Blvd/Hwy. 100 where the northbound lanes are in NLR and the southbound lanes are in Maumelle. I'm not sure who drew the boundaries or what they had been drinking when they did it.

Unfortunately, all of the commercial property on the Wal-Mart side of Maumelle Blvd. is in North Little Rock. Considering the current city limits, Maumelle only has a couple of spots where it could see the commercial development that it needs to boost sales tax revenues. There is Tract D (the spot where Kroger plans to build) and the Morgan area south of I-40. I've heard word that a hotel chain has purchased the lot where the old I-40 restaurant used to sit. There is plenty of open land to the east of that area, but I'm not sure of its availability.

Isn't a new Best Western also slated for that intersection?

Bella Vista -- I forgot that they had incorporated. Hot Springs Village -- Incorporated or not, aren't they still smaller than Maumelle?

You're right... This isn't the donated land. And the people who argued against having a Middle School across the street from a cold storage warehouse will certainly be arguing against having a high school in an industrial park, too. However, the donated land has access issues -- is there even a good road near the property? If I remember correctly, it had strings attached to it, too. Construction had to begin within a certain date or the donation was recended. I know we can't rely on having the third entrance in place if the city can't afford to build two fire stations. I understand the sad feelings of those in the Oak Grove community. However, having a high school will be a huge boost to the community spirit of Maumelle. Find me one other incorporated city of 15,000 that doesn't have a high school...

Aldersgate currently dead ends pointing due west and is only a quarter of a mile probably through the woods to Shackleford. So, a connection to Shackleford seems most likely if the road is extended. Of course, I don't know how much of that land is part of or owned by the Camp Aldersgate people or if that would cause any issue with a street extension.

They bought the Walgreen's lot?

New Life Church (currently located in NLR near Maumelle Blvd. & Counts Massie Rd.) is constructing their new church at the intersection of Crystal Hill & I-430. (www.newlifechurch.tv) And speaking of land-clearing... they're clearing more acres every day of the new Wal-Mart shopping center in NLR near Maumelle Blvd. & Crystal Hill Rd.