Jonesboro Developments

[Mith242]

I visited Porsche's website and it appears that there are no Porsche dealerships in Arkansas. Springfield Mo and Jackson Ms have dealerships and they are smaller metros than LR.

Yeah that is odd.

[Isk8ingcoach]

Hi everybody! I live in Jonesboro having relocated here from Tulsa. Lived there for about 20 years and grew up in Baltimore.

I love the new mall here. I have seen my share of malls and this one is a breath of fresh air. Everyone who comes through Jonesboro should check it out!

Vero Beach misses the ice rink at the now demolished Mall of Memphis. Since my job is teaching figure skaters I miss having a rink too. I've been teaching at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS (long drive several days a week) but we only have ice for 5 months out of the year. Guess I will have to build an ice rink in Jonesboro! One more thing for the growing city!!! Anybody here game to come out and skate with me? Ice sports should be awesome here, since everyone seems to want to escape the mosquitos here in the summer!!!

I met the people running the new Chuck E Cheese. They were from Tulsa and had only lived 2 blocks from me. What a small world we live in!!!

[Mith242]

Hi everybody! I live in Jonesboro having relocated here from Tulsa. Lived there for about 20 years and grew up in Baltimore.

I love the new mall here. I have seen my share of malls and this one is a breath of fresh air. Everyone who comes through Jonesboro should check it out!

Vero Beach misses the ice rink at the now demolished Mall of Memphis. Since my job is teaching figure skaters I miss having a rink too. I've been teaching at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS (long drive several days a week) but we only have ice for 5 months out of the year. Guess I will have to build an ice rink in Jonesboro! One more thing for the growing city!!! Anybody here game to come out and skate with me? Ice sports should be awesome here, since everyone seems to want to escape the mosquitos here in the summer!!!

I met the people running the new Chuck E Cheese. They were from Tulsa and had only lived 2 blocks from me. What a small world we live in!!!

Welcome to the forum Isk8ingcoach.

[Aporkalypse]

I read something somewhere that the new mall in Jonesboro was the only enclosed mall built in the entire U.S. last year. Wow.

[Mith242]

I read something somewhere that the new mall in Jonesboro was the only enclosed mall built in the entire U.S. last year. Wow.

Yeah, they aren't building too many of them anymore. 'Lifestyle centers' seem to be the big thing now.

[dunveth]

Before leaving the Jonesboro area last month to move to the River Valley, I was able to check out "The Mall at Turtle Creek", especially happy to have Barnes and Noble in NE Arkansas. It's a nice place, but is more of a climate controlled Lifestyle Center than a traditional mall. The numerous anchors with outside entrances demonstrate this trend.

After living in Eastern Arkansas 10 years (three long ones in West Helena before it became Hyphen City) I'll take shopping in A/C with protection against mosquitosany day!

Yay Jonesboro! Now if they could get rid of the archaic liquor laws ...

[arkansas_buff]

Couple Jonesboro updates.

Obviously the Mall at Turtle Creek has been completed. They are about to open the "Build-A-Bear Workshop," which thrills my wife to no end. Chili's is now open, and Chic-fil-A (an out parcel) should open soon. Just down the street are a new Hardee's, Popeye's, and Andy's Ice Cream. Dirt is moving across the street from those 3 as well.

Kohls' grand opening is next month. There is an Ima's that has recently opened next door to Kohls, which sells higher end ladies clothing.

[mcheiss]

Build-A-Bear suprises me.

That's got to be one of their smallest markets. I checked their website and it opens October 12.

[Aporkalypse]

Build-A-Bear suprises me.

That's got to be one of their smallest markets. I checked their website and it opens October 12.

It's not the market, it's the development. If they want to get into the Jonesboro market in the next 30 years now's the time. There won't be another major retail center like this for some time.

Same with the Promenade in Rogers. A lot of retailers that might not have been there for another 10-20 years knew that now was the time if you wanted to enter the market.

[mcheiss]

It's not the market, it's the development. If they want to get into the Jonesboro market in the next 30 years now's the time. There won't be another major retail center like this for some time.

Same with the Promenade in Rogers. A lot of retailers that might not have been there for another 10-20 years knew that now was the time if you wanted to enter the market.

Well that's true. It's just a bit odd to hear that Build-A-Bear is coming to Jonesboro.

[Aporkalypse]

Well that's true. It's just a bit odd to hear that Build-A-Bear is coming to Jonesboro.

I know what you mean, especially considering there isn't one in NWA Mall, McCain, or Central Mall. This is the 3rd Arkansas location so I'm sure there will be more soon enough.

[Rardy]

I've heard Turtle Creek compared to Carriage Crossing in Collierville. That true?

Sounds like thing are happening in Jonesboro! Can't say I've done much more there than fly over it heading into MEM. Maybe I'll have to drive out on the new I-555 (when's that happening, btw?).

[arkansas_buff]

I've heard Turtle Creek compared to Carriage Crossing in Collierville. That true?

Sounds like thing are happening in Jonesboro! Can't say I've done much more there than fly over it heading into MEM. Maybe I'll have to drive out on the new I-555 (when's that happening, btw?).

I-555 project is underway. Currently working on overpasses in Tyronza, and Marked Tree. Overpass and ramps completed in Gilmore. The connection to I-55 is partially completed. The ramps from 55 N & S to 555 are completed, but they are still working on the ramps from 555 to 55 as well as the road that crosses 55 to Turrell.

The stretch of road from Marked tree to Jonesboro has been at full interstate status (other than naming) for several years now. Although I don't know the actual projected completion date, I would guess fall '07.

[arkansas_buff]

Here are some pics I took from my phone yesterday. Sorry about the poor quality (camera phone).

Completed Gilmore exit ramp and overpass on 555 North.

Here's the completed bridge at Tyronza, which is where the infamous speed trap used to be. Tyronza will lose half of it's revenue b/c of this highway upgrade.

Here's the only overpass that does not yet span the entire highway. This is in Tyronza.

[Aporkalypse]

What's going on with Indian Mall?

Also, are there any new projects at ASU?

[arkansas_buff]

From a Jonesboro Sun story in June:

Stores at the (Indian) mall are suffering from separation anxiety, as they lose money to the other mall, said Katrina Johnson, assistant manager of Gadzooks, a clothing store aimed at teens and college-age women.

"We are really missing our customers," Johnson said. "We are not even seeing half the business we used to. Currently our numbers represent the damage -- we are 69 percent below projections and 94 percent below this day last year. The company's lease is until October, but I don't think we will be able to hold out that long. That decision is way above me though, so officially we are going to be here until October."

Dillards and Sears are both still there. Sears never opted to open a store at the new mall location. Dillards (I guess) is just selling off anything and everything in the store. Last time I was in there (back in March), they were selling light fixtures, shelves, and toilets .

As far as ASU is concerned, there is an overpass project soon to be underway. The AHTD received federal money for the project, which will take the strain off students trying to get to class on time and having to wait for trains crossing Caraway Road. Its a $285 million project.

Here's the recently opened Arkansas Biosciences Center:

More photos from ASU:

Indian Stadium

Fowler Center (performing arts)

Student Union Building

Football Fans

Library (President Clinton flew Marine One in to dedicate)

Convocation Center/ Indian Basketball

[Rardy]

From a Jonesboro Sun story in June:

Stores at the (Indian) mall are suffering from separation anxiety, as they lose money to the other mall, said Katrina Johnson, assistant manager of Gadzooks, a clothing store aimed at teens and college-age women.

"We are really missing our customers," Johnson said. "We are not even seeing half the business we used to. Currently our numbers represent the damage -- we are 69 percent below projections and 94 percent below this day last year. The company's lease is until October, but I don't think we will be able to hold out that long. That decision is way above me though, so officially we are going to be here until October."

"94% below this day last year" is not good!

Thanks for those pics of the future I-555. Will it be signed 555 all the way into J'boro?

[Mith242]

"94% below this day last year" is not good!

Yeah I guess the area just isn't big enough to support two malls.

[arkansas_buff]

"94% below this day last year" is not good!

Thanks for those pics of the future I-555. Will it be signed 555 all the way into J'boro?

If you've ever been into Indian Mall, you would know why it's doing so bad against Turtle Creek. It needs a good $15-20 million in renovations to be competetive, which won't happen. Total space is not even half of Turtle Creek. Besides, the two malls are only 1 mile apart. Not to mention the fact that the current owners of the Indian Mall property were going to build the Southern Hills Mall (over 1 million sq ft) just south of 555 on US 49. As of July, they had no public comment about what they planned to do with that. The site work had been completed before the Turtle Creek mall was ever even announced. Dirt was moved everywhere, signs were (and still are) up. It's a pretty big embarrasment for the company in my opinion.

[Aporkalypse]

I really like the library, student union, and biosciences buildings. Attractive, all of them.

[vbfl85]

Whats the capacity on the Convocation Center?

[mcheiss]

It looks like another shopping center is coming to Jonesboro.

Dixie Development of Rogers has bought the vacant land on Stadium Boulevard. Arkansas Business has said the development will be around around 230,000 square feet for retail and restaurants.

I would anticipate something like Alcoa Exchange in Bryant here, minus the Target and Kohls (since Jonesboro already has them). I would say Belk, but they have a store in Paragould, so I'm not too sure.

[arkansas_buff]

Whats the capacity on the Convocation Center?

The Convo Center seats 10,743 for concerts (up to 11,700 for concerts in the round) and 10,529 for basketball games.

[arkansas_buff]

Couple of updates here:

I was in Merle Norman (with my wife) at the Mall of Turtle Creek. In talking with the owner of the store, he said that the only thing left in Indian Mall were Sears and Dillards (which is more like a clearance store). Other than that there are 3 stores open in between. Radio Shack is one of them, but they are moving to Turtle Creek in November when their lease is up. I also noticed that there was another shoe store going into Turtle Creek. And... Chick-fil-A is finally open.

[arkansas_buff]

In Paragould News:

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center (AMMC) has announced that preliminary planning is underway for a new patient tower. The goal is to create a hospital with 100% of the patient rooms being private. Through the assistance of a strategic planning consultant and an architectural firm, steps have been taken to focus in on the appropriate scope and size of the new project. It is hoped that by the end of 2006, blueprints for the construction and financial arrangements to pay for the construction will be completed. Further, it is anticipated that actual construction will begin by the early part of 2007. Until the size and scope of the upcoming construction can be determined, it is not possible at this time to state when the scheduled completion will occur.

Here are AMMC's numbers for 2006 (to date)

VITAL STATISTICS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2006

Admissions: 5,083

Births: 256

Emergency Room Visits: 20,174

Full-Time Equivalent Employees: 691

Total Salaries, Wages, & Benefits $23,600,000

Total Uncompensated Patient Care Provided: $7,900,000

The Paragould Fire Department (PFD) opened a new Fire Station #3 on Wednesday. The old station had only one bay and no room inside to work on the truck. The new station is 2500 sq ft and cost the city $321,000. It can house 2 pumper trucks and has a 900 sq ft living quarters.

The Paragould Fire Department has twenty-five full time firefighters and three volunteer firefighters, four stations and six pumper trucks, one ladder truck, one brush truck, one tanker truck, three passenger vehicles and added a new freightliner service truck.

The Paragould Fire Department has a class 3 fire rating, and they also reached the highest level of Homeland Security Division