Fayetteville, Arkansas

[Mith242]

It seems that there has been alot of talk of redevelopment in this area. With the Gateway development on Garland, Wedington Circle behind Harps, and then whatever Barber is planning off of North. The Dover-Kohl planners had renderings of what the corner of North and Leverett could look like. It was much more urban than it is today.

Part of the reason Dover Kohl focused a lot on it is because of all the talk of light rail. They were assuming a station was going to go in for North St. But light rail seems to be dead in the water, for now at least. So I'm still a bit surprised to see a sudden focus for that particular area. I suppose I might rather see it happen over on College Ave but I'm not going to complain about it.

[Mith242]

What you say is true. KHOG (or 40/29, or Hearst-Argyle) went before the Rogers Planning Comission on February 20th to request a Conditional Use Permit to install a broadcast tower at The Peaks in Rogers (the Peaks is best identified by the black-glass, darth-vaderish looking building just of 540 before the New Hope exit; it encompasses the commerical building and residential area behind it). The CUP was approved, and the tower is being relocated from Fayetteville, as well as the studios. The Planning Office was told that KHOG plans to start a joint program with JBU in communications, I suppose allowing internship opportunities in the studio for students.

Seems like the TV stations are moving north for some reason. First KNWA opens a brach studio, and now KHOG. But I believe KFSM will stay in Fayetteville, since they are the only station in the market w/ a studio in Ft. Smith.

No the 40 part of 40/29 (I can't recall the letters) is still Ft Smith. They have joint studios. I'm not sure which station is the main one. I'm assuming probably still Ft Smith. But it makes sense for stations to move to NWA. Ft Smith may still be a bigger city but there's already a big difference in total population between NWA and the River Valley. Even KSFM has been focusing on doing more with their Fayetteville studio. I still just think it's weird that KHOG will have little to no activity here in Fayetteville, the home of the Hogs.

[Thia]

I still just think it's weird that KHOG will have little to no activity here in Fayetteville, the home of the Hogs.

Hopefully KHOG will continue to cover news out of Fayetteville "the home of the Hogs" with the same diligence that they currently do, regardless of the actual studio location. I am disappointed to learn that KHOG would move one of their primary

[jiggyK]

i have some friends who live over on mt. comfort road just a little ways down from where it splits off from garland, past tony c's. they tell me that that road REALLY needs a sidewalk because there a lots of college students that live down there who walk to the bus stop in front of harps and who walk to harps and other places in that shopping center( i'm sure more would walk if it weren't so dangerous). that road is really narrow and since there are lots of college students who live in that area it is extra dangerous walking that road because you have young kids flying down it in their new mustangs that daddy has bought them. this strikes me and a problem that should have been addressed years ago. does anyone know if the city has any plans to put in some sidewalks or bike lanes on this part of mt. comfort road? i know they're repaving several streets in '07. hopefully they will do something about this.

[cocothief]

i have some friends who live over on mt. comfort road just a little ways down from where it splits off from garland, past tony c's. they tell me that that road REALLY needs a sidewalk because there a lots of college students that live down there who walk to the bus stop in front of harps and who walk to harps and other places in that shopping center( i'm sure more would walk if it weren't so dangerous). that road is really narrow and since there are lots of college students who live in that area it is extra dangerous walking that road because you have young kids flying down it in their new mustangs that daddy has bought them. this strikes me and a problem that should have been addressed years ago. does anyone know if the city has any plans to put in some sidewalks or bike lanes on this part of mt. comfort road? i know they're repaving several streets in '07. hopefully they will do something about this.

I used to live in that area and I agree that it needs sidewalks badly.

I was watching a City Council meeting on the CAT and Kyle Cook was saying that resident input influences the city's prioritization of sidewalk projects a lot more than people realize. Maybe you should email your city council members.

[Thia]

i have some friends who live over on mt. comfort road just a little ways down from where it splits off from garland, past tony c's. they tell me that that road REALLY needs a sidewalk because there a lots of college students that live down there who walk to the bus stop in front of harps and who walk to harps and other places in that shopping center( i'm sure more would walk if it weren't so dangerous). that road is really narrow and since there are lots of college students who live in that area it is extra dangerous walking that road because you have young kids flying down it in their new mustangs that daddy has bought them. this strikes me and a problem that should have been addressed years ago. does anyone know if the city has any plans to put in some sidewalks or bike lanes on this part of mt. comfort road? i know they're repaving several streets in '07. hopefully they will do something about this.

I think this area is one of the projects that was on the bond vote in 2006. www.accessfayetteville.com has been rearranged and I can't find the list of road projects. I was in a Ward 2 meeting a couple of weeks ago and the area around Mr. Burger, Harps, and Lucky's BBQ/Tony C's was being discussed by the aldermen and citizens when I walked in. I missed most of the discussion but know that there are changes being planned for that intersection both east and west. The city coordinates sidewalks with street improvements in addition to the annual plan for new and repaired sidewalks.

And yes cocotheif is correct that the city will listen to citizen input as they consider prioritization of sidewalks. When you send your message to your aldermen cc: Kyle Cook and Terry Gulley.

[cocothief]

I think this area is one of the projects that was on the bond vote in 2006. www.accessfayetteville.com has been rearranged and I can't find the list of road projects. I was in a Ward 2 meeting a couple of weeks ago and the area around Mr. Burger, Harps, and Lucky's BBQ/Tony C's was being discussed by the aldermen and citizens when I walked in. I missed most of the discussion but know that there are changes being planned for that intersection both east and west. The city coordinates sidewalks with street improvements in addition to the annual plan for new and repaired sidewalks.

And yes cocotheif is correct that the city will listen to citizen input as they consider prioritization of sidewalks. When you send your message to your aldermen cc: Kyle Cook and Terry Gulley.

I think I heard that the portion of Mt. Comfort Road that runs through Oak Plaza is going to be eliminated and part of the work is to be paid for by the developers for the residential project behind Harps.

Does anybody know if this is accurate?

[aerotive]

Oakland street, just east of Garland, is around that area as well and desperately needs a sidewalk. I frequently walk for exercise and have learned to avoid that street at all costs.

[Mith242]

Oakland street, just east of Garland, is around that area as well and desperately needs a sidewalk. I frequently walk for exercise and have learned to avoid that street at all costs.

Yeah even though the city is working on the sidewalk problem there's still many areas that need them. Unfortunately it's just going to take some time before the city gets around to doing all of them.

In other news there's still a lot of talk about the power lines near Dickson. The city is trying to make SWEPCO pay for it. Not sure if that's going to happen. Of course if it does that actually means the taxpayers will be paying for it because the costs will be passed on to us. There was talk of finding another route but the current power lines wouldn't be coming down because they still service that area. I don't think that's likely to happen.

And in yet other news they are working on the water feature on the nw corner of the Square. Sounds like they will also be doing some changes to the landscaping. At some point I think they'll also work on the sidewalks and such. But I don't know if that will happen anytime soon. Once the Farmer's Market starts up it's going to be harder to get things done.

[cocothief]

Yeah even though the city is working on the sidewalk problem there's still many areas that need them. Unfortunately it's just going to take some time before the city gets around to doing all of them.

In other news there's still a lot of talk about the power lines near Dickson. The city is trying to make SWEPCO pay for it. Not sure if that's going to happen. Of course if it does that actually means the taxpayers will be paying for it because the costs will be passed on to us. There was talk of finding another route but the current power lines wouldn't be coming down because they still service that area. I don't think that's likely to happen.

And in yet other news they are working on the water feature on the nw corner of the Square. Sounds like they will also be doing some changes to the landscaping. At some point I think they'll also work on the sidewalks and such. But I don't know if that will happen anytime soon. Once the Farmer's Market starts up it's going to be harder to get things done.

Wow, thats a lot of news!

I'm happy that the city is doing something about the powerlines issue. It would be a shame if SWEPCO went along with their original plans.

Water feature: Any idea what kind of feature it is? Usually we hear about small things like this in the news. Maybe I just missed it.

[Mith242]

Wow, thats a lot of news!

I'm happy that the city is doing something about the powerlines issue. It would be a shame if SWEPCO went along with their original plans.

Water feature: Any idea what kind of feature it is? Usually we hear about small things like this in the news. Maybe I just missed it.

Well SWEPCO isn't agreeing with the city so this could end up as a big mess.

The water feature will be a replacement of the small 'waterfall' on the northwest corner of the Old Post Office. It's being replaced with another more 'natural looking' waterfall. Supposedly it's supposed to look more like one you'd actually see in the Ozarks. I think there will be a little more of an actual pool the water will flow down into as well.

[cocothief]

Pic of the water feature construction from NWA Times:

Edited March 7, 2007 by cocothief

[Mith242]

Interesting, that pic wasn't in the paper. I should be getting in a new camera lens tomorrow. So in the next day or two I'll probably be at the Square trying it out. I'll try to get a better look of what's going on.

[strmchsr77]

Does anyone think that this is kind of a waste of money? I really don't mind downtown looking really good but I thought we just won the American Bloom competition. Shouldn't we be spending money on roads or on something else?

[cocothief]

Does anyone think that this is kind of a waste of money? I really don't mind downtown looking really good but I thought we just won the American Bloom competition. Shouldn't we be spending money on roads or on something else?

Well at first glance, maybe. Mayor Coody made a pretty good case for renovations to the sqaure to the tune of over $900,000 in the paper a couple weeks ago.

Turns out most of the infrastructure for the gardens, etc was built in the 70s and added onto over the years and a good portion of it is in disrepair.

I think any investment in the square is a good thing and will pay off down the road.

The renovations are to include new plumbing, lighting, electrical for the Lights of the Ozarks, etc. $900,000.00 sounds like a lot of money for some landscaping, but it is really going towards laying a solid foundation for the entire square environment that will last for several decades.

[thewizard16]

Does anyone think that this is kind of a waste of money? I really don't mind downtown looking really good but I thought we just won the American Bloom competition. Shouldn't we be spending money on roads or on something else?

To an extent, yes. I mean, I'd rather see the money go to convincing SWEPCO to bury lines, for example, but I think this will be a nice project. The square looks nice, in my opinion, but sprucing it up a little certainly wouldn't hurt anything with the amount of building renovation/potential for future development in the main downtown area.

[Mith242]

I see your point Colby. But I have to agree with the others. I still think it's a good use of the money. I think Fayetteville could still make huge strides in improving the look of the city. While we do well in the US for our size of city, we've never won the international. Too many nice looking European cities to compete against. It was brought up a while back about if we really needed to spend money on sidewalks around the Square. I think maybe a lot of us don't neccessarily take a close look around our feet, but I happened to pay more attention last time I was down there. The sidewalks have deteriorated more than I would have thought. I think Coody realizes the Square is a nice focal point and doesn't want to see it slide back down the way it was back in the 60's and 70's. But it is hard for me to argue that there is need for money in other areas like roads.

[Arkansas Student]

Hey, is that a Taco Bell going out on Weddington between the Sonic and the Arvest? And is there something going in behind the Bank of Fayetteville, east of the Harp's? I live out there and was just wondering.

[jcaruth]

Yes it is....I think the other building you are refering to is going to be a Japanese restaraunt.

[Arkansas Student]

I think you're thinking of the new Chinese restaurant, Hunan Manor I believe. But behind that it looked like there was some grading/dirt work going on in the field next to the Harp's.

[Mith242]

Yeah Hunan Manor is moving out there. I'm pretty sure I heard news that Taco Bell was going to have a location out in west Fayetteville also. Although I'm not sure when it will happen.

[strmchsr77]

Yep, Taco Bell is going on the NW corner of Colorado and Wedington (between Sonic and Arvest). Hunan Manor is going in just east of Sonic. There is going to be a shopping center behind Bank of Fay, connected to the Harps. I have not found out what is going in directly behind the Bank of Fayetteville yet. Expect to see lots of new restaurants, shopping areas, and banks over the next 2-4 years.

[Mith242]

Yep, Taco Bell is going on the NW corner of Colorado and Wedington (between Sonic and Arvest). Hunan Manor is going in just east of Sonic. There is going to be a shopping center behind Bank of Fay, connected to the Harps. I have not found out what is going in directly behind the Bank of Fayetteville yet. Expect to see lots of new restaurants, shopping areas, and banks over the next 2-4 years.

I wonder if west Fayetteville will eventually start developing it's own 'character' perhaps a bit like north Fayetteville. I think in some ways I-540 walls it off from the rest of the city and can help make it feel like it's own little section.

[strmchsr77]

I wonder if west Fayetteville will eventually start developing it's own 'character' perhaps a bit like north Fayetteville. I think in some ways I-540 walls it off from the rest of the city and can help make it feel like it's own little section.

I would expect this to become a self sufficient part of town over the next few years. Kind of like north, or east, or the 6th street area of Fayetteville. There are so many large scale developments coming to this area that there is a good possiblity of another 10,000 people living in this area over the next 5-10 years.

[hogwash]

Penguin Ed's is opening another location in the 6300 block of W Wedington. They should open sometime around April 1 or so.

Mountain Ranch apartments off Persimmon near Betty Jo were recently approved and I believe Wedington Circle PZD or some other development is going in behind Harp's. There's also the obvious road widening going on west of Wedington Animal Hospital that will extend for several miles.

I see a large boom of housing development occurring along Persimmon back along to Broyles Rd and the future southern extension of Rupple Rd in the coming years.

Edited March 8, 2007 by hogwash