wmr

It looks like at least one of the new office buildings planned for south of WRMC on Appleby and Bob Younkin is going to be 4-stories. These are new offices. This is not the part that is under construction right now. The WRMC campus is going to be much different in a couple of years, and that stretch of Appleby will feel sort of urban.

Their business model has evolved. They used to be a small-market service, with lots of short-hops. That is changing.

Do tell....

Oh, not sure about that. I believe the Casey's on Wedington had something like that. It's possible. As far as I understood it, Kum & Go got the zoning they asked for.

The city approved a straight up C-2 zoning for a Kum & Go at that intersection. It would have been better-looking as a form-based zoning. Anyway, the city was very "business-friendly" on that one, but Kum & Go decided to not build. They had an approved zoning and site plan, if I am remembering right. Can't blame the city for anything in that instance.

I just read about the Apple Blossom project in the NWABJ. I love their business name "World Domination LLC".

Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that building being approved, sort of between Greenhouse Grill and the new row houses to the north. That is huge. With ABBC and Arsaga's all right there along with Woodstone and Greenhouse, we have ourselves a nice pod of "good stuff" happening. I'd really like to see a row of 2-3 story fronting School at the SE corner of the Mill Condos lot. That would really square it all up.

Well, to be fair, a lot of the taxes paid in Texas are in the form of property taxes. You might notice a lower sales tax rate in DFW and no state income tax, but the property tax rates in Texas are among the highest in the nation. Great place to live if you are working, not a great place to own property. http://interactive.taxfoundation.org/propertytax/09HV.gif I share your frustration with the political process in Arkansas, though. NWA has had to fight many uphill battles with regard to tax funding for infrastructure. For a long time, it didn't have the representation to counter Little Rock and the rest of the state in any real way. There almost seems to be an anti-NWA alliance between Little Rock and the more rural areas of the state sometimes. That seems to be changing. We just got our first governor from Northwest Arkansas, as far as I know. We finally have the population and representatives to throw some weight around down at the capitol. I-49 not being funded is definitely partly due to being a small state. We only send FOUR delegates to the House of Representatives. DFW sends more than that on its own. Texas sends NINE TIMES as many representatives to the House than Arkansas does. Our reps could definitely do a better job getting things done to benefit us, but part of it is just the reality of being a small state with small representation.

I agree about the WAC lot. It needs to be something in the 4-5 story range with a little bit of public space, maybe a "plaza", but mainly restaurant/hotel space. I haven't heard or read anything about Apple Blossom in Southside. I have seen recent planning documents that show the Arsaga's renovation of the little blue service station just across the trail from Woodstone Pizza is moving forward. I doubt it is connected, but who knows? I'd really like to see the SE or SW corner of MLK/School anchored with a solid mixed-use building of some kind. If that happened, all of the elements for a "real neighborhood" destination in the Mill District would be in place.

Look at some of the places in Alabama and Mississippi where auto manufacturing plants have located, and tell me those areas have more skilled labor pools than Fort Smith. The primary difference, aside from aggressive tax incentives, is 4-lane highway access to the south. Raw materials/auto parts into the ports, assembled vehicles out.

I don't see this as being a problem, honestly. If a business has designated parking, they can tow people who aren't their customers. There really are only a few areas of town where a no-parking new building would make sense, and those are the areas that could use some infill. Larger, denser cities, and places like suburban L.A. are like this. I am having a hard time imagining negatives to this law, since parking is still allowed. Businesses are just being given discretion in how much parking they provide. When making a huge investment like a new commercial building, I'm going to give a developer the benefit of the doubt that parking will be addressed one way or another.

Fort Smith seems a natural for manufacturing. You can't overstate the importance of I-49 and how it holds Fort Smith back. Without a direct route to the south, which mean Mexico and the gulf ports, Fort Smith will not become a major manufacturing center. The workforce is there. The infrastructure is there locally. What is missing is the transportation infrastructure to the south. Unfortunately, we have sent the types of folks to Washington who will not advocate for our fair share of road funding. We are a federal tax donor state, which is absurd. If an interstate had been completed to the south of Fort Smith 20 years ago, it might have become home to some auto manufacturers by now. Arkansas should do anything it can to get that road built, even if it means making it a toll road.

Here's more of the big news from Tyson for downtown Springdale. http://www.nwabusinessjournal.com/14502/tyson-foods-to-build-44000-sf-office-locate-over-300-to-emma-avenue

More details will emerge later on, I'm sure, but Tyson Foods just announced they are renovating a couple of buildings in downtown Springdale and putting 250-300 corporate employees down there. That's a pretty big deal for downtown Springdale.

Ha. Well, shopping is becoming more and more experiential, because people can already buy most stuff from the comfort of their homes. I hope this leads to more downtown-adjacent infill and more walkable areas. I live not far from some of these areas that are expected to fill in and would not mind more public parking along my street if it meant more businesses within walking distance of my home.

The Fayetteville City Council voted tonight to remove all minimum parking requirements for non-residential uses. It will be interesting to see how this changes the development pattern in parts of the city.

"Theater Squared", the private theater group in downtown Fayetteville is looking to build a new home. They have already recieved a NEA grant and will benefit from the Walton Family Foundation's design initiative. They are seeking a lease from the city to build a new facility on the current public parking lot at Spring and West, two blocks south of Dickson Street. http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2015/10/01/fayetteville-to-discuss-using-city-parking-lot-for-new-theatresquared-facility/

I wonder if there's room for a southbound exit-only and a northbound entrance-to-the-freeway only. Both could be run along access roads to an area far enough north from where Van Asche crosses under the freeway to not interfere with that interchange. Most Fayetteville traffic will access the area from local streets. A southbound exit and a northbound entrance would move traffic into and out of the area from the north, which would be the primary need to create a "regional destination" like they're now discussing. Another possibility for access from the south is a flyover off of the freeway where Fulbright Expressway diverges. Getting back to head southbound I-49 would require accessing the freeway via the Fulbright expressway onramp between Gregg and Steele. That area will always be somewhat confusing for people not familiar with the area. The railroad going along Gregg Ave is a big part of the reason, and I don't see any way to remedy that. Without the railroad tracks, there would be straightforward exits to access the area via Gregg. Instead, it is complicated via roundabout, frontage road, turnaround, etc.

It is pretty typical of any new ordinance that is even somewhat controversial to go through three meetings at least. Fayetteville is pretty good at discussing things, almost to a fault. I expect some version to pass.

Not sure if it should be considered midtown or downtown. Most likely it will be considered downtown. I saw in the business journal that SRG bought a small apartment complex near Wilson Park at Trenton, which connects to College Avenue in that section. That section of College is set for being rebuilt with expanded sidewalks and better pedestrian access. Mark Zweig just put the old Twin Arch Motel property under contract. Mel Collier apparently bought the University Auto building behind Lacuna modern in that area, too. It sounds like some stuff will be happening along that stretch very soon.

The entire CMN area, as far as I know, is and always has been deed restricted to preserve the wetlands area adjacent to Mud Creek. The way that area is developing, hopefully this is something more than 1-story. I don't think Fayetteville has an office-space shortage, but it would be nice to see a building there visible from N. College Ave. Henry Eye Clinic took over the former Brazilian Steakhouse building right across the street and they have nice visible branding from southbound N. College Ave.

CC has basically free land and deep pockets. They'll build.

This is still east of the creek/trail area. Part of it is a 5-story parking garage. I haven't seen any plans for anything on the current parking lot at the expressway and Gregg. There are offices planned south of the main hospital, across Appleby.

Don't expect anything to be announced about the Bentonville performing arts center until the Fayetteville WAC renovation is almost finished. I would expect the latest we hear about the new performing arts center would be right after the grand re-opening of Fayetteville's renovated performing arts center in fall 2016. I expect a "fundraising campaign" official announcement, followed shortly afterwards by a design and a groundbreaking announcement. Rest assured, there is a lot being done "behind the scenes" right now for that center. They probably don't want to steal any thunder from their present renovation, however.

The company doing the big multi-family/"executive apartments" community behind Target "uptown" is this company. No site plan or renderings on their website, but you can look around and get an idea of what to expect: http://www.watermark-residential.com/