Fayetteville, Arkansas

[cocothief]

I've read about some potential road projects the city could work on between 2008-2012. The city could put all the money into just a few projects. Or could do parts of a number of them. But one of them mentions College Ave between Maple and Sycamore. But I didn't see any explanation of what kind of work they'd be doing. Does anyone know if we're just talking about repaving or something else? The cost was around $1.5 Mil.

I was just wondering the same thing.

My hope is that, since the initial downtown streetscape improvements to College will extend from Rock to Maple, that perhaps these aesthetic and access improvements are the types of improvements they are considering. In 10 years I'd like to see College Avenue completely revamped to Milsap, even if the work has to be done in sections.

I favor this because I believe this revamping will help further revitalize the urban core, encourage more retail/ tax generating revenues for the city, and that the majority of the other projects on the list are sprawl encouragement.

[Mith242]

I was just wondering the same thing.

My hope is that, since the initial downtown streetscape improvements to College will extend from Rock to Maple, that perhaps these aesthetic and access improvements are the types of improvements they are considering. In 10 years I'd like to see College Avenue completely revamped to Milsap, even if the work has to be done in sections.

I favor this because I believe this revamping will help further revitalize the urban core, encourage more retail/ tax generating revenues for the city, and that the majority of the other projects on the list are sprawl encouragement.

Yeah I was also hoping that maybe it was some sort of aesthetic improvements as well. But I really don't know. It may not even matter, they could decide to put the money towards the other projects and put this one off till after 2012.

[Sammy00]

I just got back from Ann Arbor, Michigan a few weeks ago, and while I realize they are a larger city than Fayetteville, the downtown is amazing.

Their Dickson Street is State Street, just off the Michigan campus, and it serves as the main vessel to an entire 3 blocks of great bars, restaurants, shops, ice cream parlors, theaters, etc...

While State Street is great, there is no drop off when walking two streets over.

Urban Outfitters (which is in an old theater, pretty cool), two Starbucks, HUGE Steve and Barney's UofM store, old school movie theater (complete with organ players and gold dome ceiling), and all the unique, local stores you would expect.

I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I would love to see something like that happen around here someday.

-- On a side note, anyone know where to get those "Keep Fayetteville Funky" stickers for your car? --

Edited August 8, 2007 by Sammy00

[bagelw]

-- On a side note, anyone know where to get those "Keep Fayetteville Funky" stickers for your car? --

I think I saw some at Hugos.

[mzweig]

-- On a side note, anyone know where to get those "Keep Fayetteville Funky" stickers for your car? --

You can get them at Penguin Ed's on South School St. (71B).

M

[jiggyK]

he's an interesting blog about our town/area that's come to me lately. good stuff.

http://jonah-tebbetts.blogspot.com/

[Mith242]

I just got back from Ann Arbor, Michigan a few weeks ago, and while I realize they are a larger city than Fayetteville, the downtown is amazing.

Their Dickson Street is State Street, just off the Michigan campus, and it serves as the main vessel to an entire 3 blocks of great bars, restaurants, shops, ice cream parlors, theaters, etc...

While State Street is great, there is no drop off when walking two streets over.

Urban Outfitters (which is in an old theater, pretty cool), two Starbucks, HUGE Steve and Barney's UofM store, old school movie theater (complete with organ players and gold dome ceiling), and all the unique, local stores you would expect.

I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I would love to see something like that happen around here someday.

-- On a side note, anyone know where to get those "Keep Fayetteville Funky" stickers for your car? --

I know what you mean. But in some ways I think it's going to be harder to keep development Dickson and the area surrounding it. It unfortunately still has a lot of residential areas around it. I don't think many of those people are going to be happy to keep expanding our entertainment district.

[Mith242]

The city has been slowly adding more speed tables in certain areas. They've been doing that for a while, but recently they've started putting in some traffic circles as well. I haven't come across any of those yet. But I'm curious to see them. I've seen some pics of them before. I think they look nicer than speed tables, and allows you to add just a little more vegetation. They look like a small roundabout but don't work the same way. Basically it's just to make you slow down to go around them.

[strmchsr77]

The city has been slowly adding more speed tables in certain areas. They've been doing that for a while, but recently they've started putting in some traffic circles as well. I haven't come across any of those yet. But I'm curious to see them. I've seen some pics of them before. I think they look nicer than speed tables, and allows you to add just a little more vegetation. They look like a small roundabout but don't work the same way. Basically it's just to make you slow down to go around them.

I really don't like the city wasting all of this money on speed tables, we need so many roads widened and fixed. I understand have a few in troubled speed areas around town but they seem to be putting too many. Just my opinion.

[CellarDoor135]

I really don't like the city wasting all of this money on speed tables, we need so many roads widened and fixed. I understand have a few in troubled speed areas around town but they seem to be putting too many. Just my opinion.

I HATE the speedtables. They're so ugly and clumsy looking, roundabouts and the circles they've installed around wilson park are much more appealing, both aesthetically and practically.

[Mith242]

I really don't like the city wasting all of this money on speed tables, we need so many roads widened and fixed. I understand have a few in troubled speed areas around town but they seem to be putting too many. Just my opinion.

I know where you're coming from, but at the same time I think the city feels it needs to do something. As roads also get more crowded more people take to the side streets and try to zip down those. I don't guess I've noticed there being a whole lot. But I don't always take a lot of the smaller side streets either I guess.

I HATE the speedtables. They're so ugly and clumsy looking, roundabouts and the circles they've installed around wilson park are much more appealing, both aesthetically and practically.

I agree with you there. I'd much rather have the traffic circles. They are much more appealing.

[zman9810]

Here's a couple of photos of the Cosmopolitan Hotel's new paint job. It's a very clean and bright look- really stands out among every other building downtown. It'll be interesting to see what type of signage is used- I'd like to see something neon but tasteful.

[Mith242]

Thanks for the pic. I took a couple of pics a while back and forgot to post them. I also wasn't sure if this was the final exterior or just a base for something else.

[zman9810]

Thanks for the pic. I took a couple of pics a while back and forgot to post them. I also wasn't sure if this was the final exterior or just a base for something else.

I wondered whether it was a primer coat also. I've tried to catch one of the workers to ask but they are always several stories up, so no luck. Up close the surface doesn't have the dusty rough look of a primer coat. They also painted that one section a while back and left it ( I would guess) to see how it would hold up to the elements, so I think this is the final look. When I painted my house I prepared it by pressure washing- they don't seem to be doing anything to prepare the surface for a new paint job. They are the professionals though, so I'm sure they know what they are doing.

The buidling will sure make a landmark for planes flying in.

[masons_dad1]

Here's a couple of photos of the Cosmopolitan Hotel's new paint job. It's a very clean and bright look- really stands out among every other building downtown. It'll be interesting to see what type of signage is used- I'd like to see something neon but tasteful.

I believe that's just primer as it has no color to it (looks like paper). This is more than likely since painting a light color over the existing brownish color without primer would look cheap and splotchy.

[Mith242]

I don't know, I admit at first I just assumed it was a base coast. But I'm starting to think this possibly could be the final exterior. It would really make it stand out like zman said. But I guess we're just going to have to wait to be certain.

[masons_dad1]

I don't know, I admit at first I just assumed it was a base coast. But I'm starting to think this possibly could be the final exterior. It would really make it stand out like zman said. But I guess we're just going to have to wait to be certain.

I guess I expected they would have used a different color to accentuate the 2 blocky structures (elevator shafts?) running up the side of the building, but I guess that would have cost more than just using an eggshell color over everything.

[cowbreath]

At the rate things are going around here, I just hope they finish it. It makes me nervous to not know what it is supposed to look like and see it sitting with a partial coat currently.

[Mith242]

At the rate things are going around here, I just hope they finish it. It makes me nervous to not know what it is supposed to look like and see it sitting with a partial coat currently.

Well unlike some other projects around here I'm pretty sure this one will go through. Although I'm like you, not really knowing what all they have in store for this renovation, I'm curious to see how it's going to look.

[cocothief]

I HATE the speedtables. They're so ugly and clumsy looking, roundabouts and the circles they've installed around wilson park are much more appealing, both aesthetically and practically.

I am not a big fan of the speed tables, either. They get the job done, althogh they require additional roadside signs and take away some of the charm of the older neighborhood's street network.

That said, I wouldn't mind having a couple on Elm Street. I'd really be pumped to see a couple of the traffic circles at Elm with its intersections with Erstan and Baker streets.

Lots of people cut through our residential area getting from Gregg to College when Township is crowded. The more the area develops, and the more traffic Gregg handles from the north, its only going to get worse.

[Mith242]

I am not a big fan of the speed tables, either. They get the job done, althogh they require additional roadside signs and take away some of the charm of the older neighborhood's street network.

That said, I wouldn't mind having a couple on Elm Street. I'd really be pumped to see a couple of the traffic circles at Elm with its intersections with Erstan and Baker streets.

Lots of people cut through our residential area getting from Gregg to College when Township is crowded. The more the area develops, and the more traffic Gregg handles from the north, its only going to get worse.

Yeah, I'm really hoping the traffic circles really catch on and that we can start using those instead of the speed tables.

[Mith242]

Sounds like the Street master Plan is moving forward. It made it passed the Planning Commission and will now move on to the City Council. Although there seems to be some more objections coming out. Sounds like people in western Fayetteville don't like the idea of Howard Nickell Rd being widened to a four lane boulevard.

In other news from the Planning Commission, sounds like they approved a large scale development of another Walgreens. Sounds like it will be on 6th St west of I-540.

[strmchsr77]

In other news from the Planning Commission, sounds like they approved a large scale development of another Walgreens. Sounds like it will be on 6th St west of I-540.

Wow, another Walgreens on 6th. I guess that makes 4 in Fayetteville. I am kind of surprised they have not put one around the Wedington Exit or out at the Mission/Crossover intersection.

[Mith242]

Wow, another Walgreens on 6th. I guess that makes 4 in Fayetteville. I am kind of surprised they have not put one around the Wedington Exit or out at the Mission/Crossover intersection.

Yeah I guess, they're going for the southwest instead of west Fayetteville. But I had wondered about Wedington as well.

[mzweig]

Wow, another Walgreens on 6th. I guess that makes 4 in Fayetteville. I am kind of surprised they have not put one around the Wedington Exit or out at the Mission/Crossover intersection.

Just what we need! I only have three Walgreen's within a couple miles of my house and REALLY need another!! I mean what if the current three are out of the big boxes of sno-caps? Maybe the fourth one will have them.