Benton County Projects

[Scary Redneck]

Scary redneck,

I'm wondering if that's the beginning of that big project that's predicted to house up to 14,000 people in Highfill? That location would be near west of XNA and immediately north of downtown Highfill.

I had heard about the housing project plotted for our area, but didn't think of it being this close to us. lol.

BTW, I'm curious when the Benton County Children's Shelter will break ground on their new building west of Vaughn? (On the road after the elegant Polo Park apartments, but before you reach the two radio towers west of that town). They've got a sign out there with an architect's rendering of the new facility...that looks very nice.

The area that everyone was saying was bought for the Childrens Shelter has already had development started for build to suit housing. It may have just been speculation by our locals that this particular location was for that and may not have been right.

I haven't been around that way in a very long time so I don't know what exactly you're talking about, but I'll go drive by there shortly and see what has popped up since my last venture that direction.

[Scary Redneck]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the fairgrounds coming in to. That will be interesting. Does anyone know if they are supposed to be done for next years fair? I would think so, but you never know I recon. I had heard they were supposed to be done for this years fair but something happened to keep that from happening.

[KJW]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the fairgrounds coming in to. That will be interesting. Does anyone know if they are supposed to be done for next years fair? I would think so, but you never know I recon. I had heard they were supposed to be done for this years fair but something happened to keep that from happening.

Scary Redneck,

The fairgrounds will be ready by next year but they're under construction.

The children's shelter is, I believe, north of your photo location on the north side of Vaughn Road somewhere near Coffelt Cemetary Road.

The Highfill development was announced 1-2 years ago...don't know if that's what you're seeing but given the area you're talking about I wouldn't be surprised if it is that project.

[masons_dad1]

Considering the drainage pond and the size of the drainage pipes they're putting in it does look like a large subdivision of some kind. I can't imagine the roads there can handle much commercial development and they hardly seem capable of handling a large subdivision. Maybe some road widening may be coming to that area in the next couple years.

[mcheiss]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the fairgrounds coming in to. That will be interesting. Does anyone know if they are supposed to be done for next years fair? I would think so, but you never know I recon. I had heard they were supposed to be done for this years fair but something happened to keep that from happening.

It should be.

I can't wait for it to open, I know it's suppose to have a large center stage and much nicer facilities. I sure will miss the old fairgrounds, but I think it's time for a change.

[Scary Redneck]

As far as the fair grounds, it is exciting. I have only been to the fair twice my whole life and mostly it was because I didn't want to fight the traffic through town. Now that it's going to be so close to me, I'll probably start making the trip.

As far as the roads handling the traffic, at this point, there is no way. It's hard for two vehicles going opposite directions to go by each other if the vechicles are very big, ie SUV's. I live on South Coffelt Cemetery Rd and we all hope that they have road plans in mind. Each day there is more and more traffic out here. As previously stated, I live on the dirt part of the road, and we have heard talks that they are going to be coming out and paving our road and Motley road, but noone knows if its true.

As far as the Childrens Shelter, does anyone happen to have a map of it propsed location? The "build to suit" land is the only place on S. Coff. that I know of that it would have gone.

Thanks for all the input and responses. I didn't expect this much. Thanks again.

[cowbreath]

Didn't know where to put this so I found a forum I haven't been to. I took some pictures last weekend and here are some of the new hospital being built and the Embassy suites.

[mcheiss]

Great Pics.

I believe they have topped out the Hospital at 6-7 Floors.

[Mith242]

Hey nice to see some pics and updates on what;s going on with construction. I hope you weren't driving while you took those cowbreath. Taking pics and driving doesn't work out very well.

[cowbreath]

I'm too lazy to stop. Plus when you take 10 pictures with digital you can get at least 3 good ones. Hehe...

[Mith242]

I'm too lazy to stop. Plus when you take 10 pictures with digital you can get at least 3 good ones. Hehe...

As long as you're careful, it's not too easy trying to take pics and driving. Especially if it's a busy interstate like I-540.

[CellarDoor135]

Did anyone hear about the new project going on in downtown Lowell. I was watching 5 news and one of the stories was about Dixie development putting in a 40 million project to "create" a downtown Lowell.

Sounds like an interesting and much needed project. It didn't show a rendering or give much details but I'm sure this is going to be a big deal.

[Mith242]

Did anyone hear about the new project going on in downtown Lowell. I was watching 5 news and one of the stories was about Dixie development putting in a 40 million project to "create" a downtown Lowell.

Sounds like an interesting and much needed project. It didn't show a rendering or give much details but I'm sure this is going to be a big deal.

Seems like i heard about Dixie doing something else, but not this one. Interesting to hear, thanks for the info.

[Aporkalypse]

Seems like i heard about Dixie doing something else, but not this one. Interesting to hear, thanks for the info.

You wonder when Benton Co is going to overbuild. If all of the currently discussed projects are built, I worry a bit about some of the older parts of Rogers and Springdale particularly.

[Mith242]

You wonder when Benton Co is going to overbuild. If all of the currently discussed projects are built, I worry a bit about some of the older parts of Rogers and Springdale particularly.

Yeah I don't ever hear about any development on the east side of Rogers. You'd think being closer to Beaver Lake it would also be a good place for development.

[Aporkalypse]

Yeah I don't ever hear about any development on the east side of Rogers. You'd think being closer to Beaver Lake it would also be a good place for development.

I absolutely agree with it and if I lived up there and had the cash I would be buying up land around the lake and West of it.

I'm more worried about the older retail centers. There was already a fair bit of decline in some of the older parts of Rogers. All of the retail coming in won't be new, you'll see a shift away from marginal centers. Some will be filled with Latino businesses and others will end up vacant. I think there should be more of a push for redevelopment in Rogers, you don't want to have everything along the interstate first class at the expense of the original city. That mentality will catch up in 20 years.

[Mith242]

I absolutely agree with it and if I lived up there and had the cash I would be buying up land around the lake and West of it.

I'm more worried about the older retail centers. There was already a fair bit of decline in some of the older parts of Rogers. All of the retail coming in won't be new, you'll see a shift away from marginal centers. Some will be filled with Latino businesses and others will end up vacant. I think there should be more of a push for redevelopment in Rogers, you don't want to have everything along the interstate first class at the expense of the original city. That mentality will catch up in 20 years.

Hopefully there will be a nice story about this area of Rogers just like there was for downtown Fayetteville. I guess everyone is busy developing empty land on the west side of Rogers rather than redevelop existing developments in eastern Rogers. It might take a while but I bet that east Rogers will become more appreciated at some point in the future. I think it's just too close to the lake to be ignored forever. Eventually they will fill in much of western Rogers and need somewhere else to develop.

[Aporkalypse]

Hopefully there will be a nice story about this area of Rogers just like there was for downtown Fayetteville. I guess everyone is busy developing empty land on the west side of Rogers rather than redevelop existing developments in eastern Rogers. It might take a while but I bet that east Rogers will become more appreciated at some point in the future. I think it's just too close to the lake to be ignored forever. Eventually they will fill in much of western Rogers and need somewhere else to develop.

I'd loved to see some redevelopment in the downtown area to complement the existing downtown buildings.

Lake Atlanta could also use a full makeover. It's the heart of Rogers.

[Mith242]

I'd loved to see some redevelopment in the downtown area to complement the existing downtown buildings.

Lake Atlanta could also use a full makeover. It's the heart of Rogers.

Yeah there's a really nice downtown with a lot of potential. To be honest I think it has more historical buildings left than the Fayetteville downtown. Luckily though Fayetteville has some nice older icons, not sure if any of Roger's older buildings fit that description.

[mcheiss]

I absolutely agree with it and if I lived up there and had the cash I would be buying up land around the lake and West of it.

I'm more worried about the older retail centers. There was already a fair bit of decline in some of the older parts of Rogers. All of the retail coming in won't be new, you'll see a shift away from marginal centers. Some will be filled with Latino businesses and others will end up vacant. I think there should be more of a push for redevelopment in Rogers, you don't want to have everything along the interstate first class at the expense of the original city. That mentality will catch up in 20 years.

Downtown seems to be getting a bit of revival.

The 71-B Corridor is declining bad. The only new businesses coming to that section in the past years have been a new building for Bob Maloney Ford, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, and Arvest Bank.

However, near the Pleasant Grove Road (South) and 71-B Intersection, there's a whole flurry of new development coming. I'm hoping that development will shift north as land becomes more valuable.

[Mith242]

Downtown seems to be getting a bit of revival.

The 71-B Corridor is declining bad. The only new businesses coming to that section in the past years have been a new building for Bob Maloney Ford, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, and Arvest Bank.

However, near the Pleasant Grove Road (South) and 71-B Intersection, there's a whole flurry of new development coming. I'm hoping that development will shift north as land becomes more valuable.

Now that I think about it I'm not sure the 71 B corridor is doing well in any of the NWA cities.

[mcheiss]

Now that I think about it I'm not sure the 71 B corridor is doing well in any of the NWA cities.

Well Lowell and South Rogers there is a flurry of development.

There's currently a 70 Acre Sprawl Development just south of Rogers in Lowell that is going to have the World's largest World Gym at 50,000 sq. feet.

[Mith242]

Well Lowell and South Rogers there is a flurry of development.

There's currently a 70 Acre Sprawl Development just south of Rogers in Lowell that is going to have the World's largest World Gym at 50,000 sq. feet.

Well at least there's one area of the 71B corridor that's has something going on.

[Aporkalypse]

Well at least there's one area of the 71B corridor that's has something going on.

But in Lowell it's not redevelopment, it's just development.

You're kind of right about the 71B corridor, especially in Springdale. I think that locating the stadium there might've helped clean up an area a bit.

There is so much vacant land in NWA around and between the cities that it's easy to build new buildings instead of renovating older ones. That's great but at some point the burden of a host of decaying properties is going to catch up. This is probably most true in Springdale but it also true to an extent in Rogers. I haven't been back to Rogers lately but if what mcheiss says is true that's very good news indeed.

[mcheiss]

There is so much vacant land in NWA around and between the cities that it's easy to build new buildings instead of renovating older ones. That's great but at some point the burden of a host of decaying properties is going to catch up. This is probably most true in Springdale but it also true to an extent in Rogers. I haven't been back to Rogers lately but if what mcheiss says is true that's very good news indeed.

Tell that to Collin Haynes, John Q. Hammons, or J.B. Hunt. All they care about is location, location, location.

I expect infill development over the years from chains as land becomes more valuable in NWA, and traffic counts become higher.