Sprindale Minor League Sports Complex and Minor League Baseball Stadium

[edensfall]

Thanks for that info Edensfall! You might be happy to know that all of the plans your friend told you are confirmed by Springdale's Master Street Plan. Oaklawn Ave will not only be widened to 5 lanes around the ballpark, but will also be expanded from S. Thompson (71B) in the east to Hwy 112 in the west. Other future expansion to major 5 lane roads around the ballpark will be 56th St (New Hope), 40th and 48th Streets. I'll bet the city prioritizes the road expansions around the ballpark over other areas of the city. I'm not sure what timeframe these road projects will be completed, but when they are the area around the ballpark will be very, very hot!

Note that Randall Tyson Recreational Complex, with it's 10 baseball/softball fields, is only a couple blocks from the future ballpark. I'd expect a major sporting goods (Dick's or Sports Authority) store to open in the area shortly after the ballpark.

Here's some maps I put together of some of these future road expansions around the ballpark:

[zman9810]

Since this is one of my pet issues I'm going to put in my 2 cents. Springdale's master street plan shows an overpass on I540, but not an interchange. This my first attempt at posting an image; hopefully it shows up.Springdale Bond Program

I540 is the double line running vertically in the middle. The Springdale Road Bond Program 2003 improvements on Oaklawn are represented by the red dashed lines at the lower right running horizontally and this section is called the Southern Corridor. If you look at the parent map of the bond program you can see it runs all the way to far east side of Springdale. On the other side of I540 the road becomes Dearing Road. The ballpark area is to the north of Dearing.

As it stands now, the bond program improves Oaklawn to 48th Street and ends. That means a primary east-west corridor in Springdale will dead-end a few hundred feet from the primary north-south road (I540) in NWA. As I said, the master street plan shows an overpass and the road continuing to AR112. This is only a line on a map, no real plan, no design and no funding. There isn't even an interchange planned on either map.

When Mayor Van Hoose first suggested a road bond program (I believe it was in 2002) he suggested a route from 56th Street eastward, but residents of the area just east of I540 spoke out against that plan. I actually still have the newspaper clippings from that time. It quietly was reduced to what it is now.

The need for an interchange for the Southern Corridor and I540 is obvious. The successful development of the ballpark area and the economic well being of Springdale depend on it. I hope the leaders of the Springdale community recognize this and will act to see that an interchange is built.

*edit* the map didn't show up as an image, but the link works. I'll do better next time.

[masons_dad1]

This is only a line on a map, no real plan, no design and no funding. There isn't even an interchange planned on either map.

The need for an interchange for the Southern Corridor and I540 is obvious. The successful development of the ballpark area and the economic well being of Springdale depend on it. I hope the leaders of the Springdale community recognize this and will act to see that an interchange is built.

[Mith242]

itk made it sound like there's room for another exit between Johnson and 412. It might be more of a problem of getting the money for an interchange. Perhaps there are eventual plans for one but it's further off.

[masons_dad1]

itk made it sound like there's room for another exit between Johnson and 412. It might be more of a problem of getting the money for an interchange. Perhaps there are eventual plans for one but it's further off.

[Mith242]

Wish I knew what topic that was posted in. I'm pretty sure itk said that there was one option available as an exit somewhere in that area. But now I can't remember what topic that popped up in.

[itk]

Wish I knew what topic that was posted in. I'm pretty sure itk said that there was one option available as an exit somewhere in that area. But now I can't remember what topic that popped up in.

[masons_dad1]

So, what, no one reads my posts? That's alright, that might even be better so that I don't ever get quoted!

[zman9810]

I will bet everything that I own that another interchange will eventually go in between Hwy 412 and Johnson. Maybe not in the near future... but some day. Here's my thinking: (1) Springdale residents to the east don't want an interchange because they're afraid of an increase in traffic. (2) Springdale admin doesn't want to be the bad guys. (3) A ballpark is built, new commercial developments, and a nice 4 lane Southern Corridor gets built that ends abruptly at 48th. (4) Traffic ends up funneling across Watkins Ave, and the existing 412 interchange gets worse. (5) People start clamoring for a new interchange. (6) Then, if Springdale is smart, they will blame AHTD or FHWA or NWARPC for being the real bad guys (those idiot transportation planners, what were they thinking!!!!), and finally (7) Springdale, being the good guys, will get the local support they need to proceed with building a new interchange.

I bet you 99.9% that is what will happen.

[KJW]

If indeed that speculation is correct, here are the teams that will be in the Texas League next year assuming no other changes:

Tulsa

Springfield

Northwest Arkansas

Arkansas

Frisco

Midland

Corpus Christi

San Antonio

It's going to be somewhat strange having a "Northwest Arkansas" and an "Arkansas" in the same league...but IMO I feel more comfortable with that name for this area's team...

[masons_dad1]

If indeed that speculation is correct, here are the teams that will be in the Texas League next year assuming no other changes:

Tulsa

Springfield

Northwest Arkansas

Arkansas

Frisco

Midland

Corpus Christi

San Antonio

It's going to be somewhat strange having a "Northwest Arkansas" and an "Arkansas" in the same league...but IMO I feel more comfortable with that name for this area's team...

[Mith242]

If indeed that speculation is correct, here are the teams that will be in the Texas League next year assuming no other changes:

Tulsa

Springfield

Northwest Arkansas

Arkansas

Frisco

Midland

Corpus Christi

San Antonio

It's going to be somewhat strange having a "Northwest Arkansas" and an "Arkansas" in the same league...but IMO I feel more comfortable with that name for this area's team...

[Mith242]

I don't like the fact that both Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas are the only teams with a state's instead of a city's name. I think Arkansas was designated for the Trevelers at a time when Little Rock expected to be the only city with a minor league baseball team. I think the Arkansas Travelers should be changed to Little Rock Travelers and the Northwest Arkansas Monarchs should be changed to Springdale Monarchs. Having the teams remain as is would further seperate the NWA region from the rest of the state (ie. Virginia and West Virginia).

Furthermore, the Northwest Arkansas Monarchs doesn't roll off the tongue very well and it's going to tick off sports announcers to say it.

[mcheiss]

Hmmm...did I miss something? Everything I saw beforehand gave me the impression they would use Springdale's name since it was their taxpayers paying for all of this. Although as is the case with the Arkansas Travelers,m it's not uncommon for smaller metros to for a larger area to appeal to instead of just a city. Heck even some NFL teams do this. The Carolina Panthers not only don't have a city name they ddon't have the North on the front either to be more appealing to the South Carolina people as well. The Travelers are a bit odd though. I'm sure they're keeping that name but I'm pretty sure North Little Rock is going to be somewhere on their uniforms. Since they are now going to be located there and not in Little Rock proper.

[Mith242]

May'be the Arkansas Travelers are named the Arkansas Travelers to appeal to all Arkansans instead of just Little Rock. It could have been one of those PR decisions.

[masons_dad1]

I do think it has more to do with that. They've been there for years. Arkansas and Little Rock couldn't have been very populous when they first located there. It makes more sense to try to appeal to larger area. But at the same time I can see why Springdale would want to use their own name and I have no problems with it. Springdale wants to get it's name out there more and they are paying for all this to happen. That and there's not much of a regional name for this area. I don't know if many people would want to say Northwest Arkansas Naturals. I also don't think the NWA would go over that well either.

[zman9810]

I think using a regional name like Northwest Arkansas will help develop a more loyal fan base. I don't know if someone living in, say, Rogers will being as supportive of the Springdale Naturals as they would the NWA Naturals. There have been intense local rivalries between NWA cities for many years that newcomers may not be as aware of. The first year or so there will be a lot of support and ticket sales, but unless the team does well it will drop off. Building a sense of ownership over all of NWA would help ticket sales in the long run.

I know I'm getting excited thinking about opening day. Of course getting my Razorback season ticket today helps.

[edensfall]

I think using a regional name like Northwest Arkansas will help develop a more loyal fan base. I don't know if someone living in, say, Rogers will being as supportive of the Springdale Naturals as they would the NWA Naturals. There have been intense local rivalries between NWA cities for many years that newcomers may not be as aware of. The first year or so there will be a lot of support and ticket sales, but unless the team does well it will drop off. Building a sense of ownership over all of NWA would help ticket sales in the long run.

I know I'm getting excited thinking about opening day. Of course getting my Razorback season ticket today helps.

[Mith242]

Yeah too bad we'll never be able to have anything like the Razorbacks with statewide support. But I don't see something like that happening again. Our area of the state isn't very popular in other areas of the state. There's been some competition for funds and there's also some jealousy. The Delta for a long time was THE area of the state and now it's gone through a pretty big decline. Maybe at some point we need to have a team listed as the Ozark something. Maybe even try to draw support from the Missouri Ozarks as well.

[Aporkalypse]

Yeah too bad we'll never be able to have anything like the Razorbacks with statewide support. But I don't see something like that happening again. Our area of the state isn't very popular in other areas of the state. There's been some competition for funds and there's also some jealousy. The Delta for a long time was THE area of the state and now it's gone through a pretty big decline. Maybe at some point we need to have a team listed as the Ozark something. Maybe even try to draw support from the Missouri Ozarks as well.

[KJW]

Northwest Arkansas isn't even a real name. It's just a nickname for the region, which according to the State we're actually in the Ozarks region. I just don't like the way it makes Northwest Arkansas sound too much like West Virginia. People that don't know better might think it's a whole different state than Arkansas. And what's wrong with using Springdale anyway, if people in NWA can't appreciate that a sister city is home to a minor league baseball team and not their city then the future of this region is in serious trouble.

[KJW]

From the (Springdale) News:

SPRINGDALE -- The new Springdale stadium will carry a strong bench when construction starts, with a reserve of $2.8 million.

The City Council, in a special meeting Wednesday, approved a construction budget for the baseball stadium that leaves $2.8 million in reserve. The budget calls for construction expenses of $48.09 million and available funds of $50.935 million.

The city expected to have slightly less than $50 million available for construction, said Mayor Jerre Van Hoose. The extra funds came from two sources.

The bonds sold to raise money for the project received premium prices and the city deposited the bond money and drew better-than-expected rates on certificates of deposit. Allowing for the time when the funds will be needed, projections call for the bond money to draw $1.5 million in interest, Van Hoose said.

"We had not calculated any interest on the bond money when we set the total amount we would need," Van Hoose said.

http://www.nwaonline.com/articles/2007/02/...adiumbudget.txt

[Thia]

No one has discussed leaving the new ball park and going south. From Apple Road and 56th Street I usually travel south on 56th to Great Springs Rd in Johnson. It's a narrow two lane now that has a 3-way stop where it connects to New Hope but it

[Aporkalypse]

No one has discussed leaving the new ball park and going south. From Apple Road and 56th Street I usually travel south on 56th to Great Springs Rd in Johnson. It's a narrow two lane now that has a 3-way stop where it connects to New Hope but it

[masons_dad1]

I think you'll be surprised at how little traffic these games actually draw. Actual attendance is going to be between 2000-4000 on the majority of nights (paid attendance will be higher because of box-seat owners who only go to a few games). Unlike UA sports, people will arrive late and/or leave early and there's not a mad rush to leave the game all at once. The area where Ray Winder Field was in LR was near I-630 but had a couple of small two-lane roads connecting it to it and still there was never much trouble getting out.