Bentonville, Arkansas

[Mith242]

The Bentonville Square is wired! Grab your laptop and a cup o' jo or lunch and head Downtown to the Bentonville Square. For the convenience of the thousands of patrons who work in Bentonville, the city now provides free wireless Internet service in and around the downtown square area (11 Mbps data rate).

In other News...

How to get there from there in Bentonville? Major road projects in Bentonville are ongoing. Here are some of the road projects that are underway or will be next year:

NE/NW Tiger Blvd., the main east-west corridor connecting North Walton (71B) with the north entrance of the Crystal Bridess Museum is complete. It's a beautiful two-lane road with curbs, gutter, wrought-iron looking street lamps and an 8-ft wide sidewalk. Underground utilities give it a clean look. This will be the northern route to Crystal Bridges. There's very little development along NW Tiger Blvd., but I expect that will change pretty soon.

NE John DeShields Blvd., the main east-west corridor connecting NE Moberly with the east entrance of Crystal Bridges will be completed later this year. It's also a nice two lane road with curbs, gutter, wrought-iron looking street lamps and an 8-ft wide sidewalk. A roundabout will be located at the intersection with NE Moberly. This road also runs through the middle of Memorial Park, one of the region's largest public sports and recreational facilities; which is also planned for major expansion.

Hwy 72 (E Central), the main east-west corridor connecting NE J Street with I-540 will begin road construction early 2008. This two lane road will be widened to five lanes with curb, gutter, storm drains, and an 8-ft sidewalk. This major road project is in conjunction with the AHTD. Utilities are currently being relocated. This will be the most popular route to get from I-540 to Crystal Bridges and Downtown Bentonville when completed; that is until the 8th Street road project is completed in the near future.

SE 8th St., the road everyone who works for Wal-Mart is waiting for, will be the main east-west corridor connecting I-540 to South Walton and the Wal-Mart Home Office; not to mention the Wal-Mart ISD Building and Downtown Bentonville. This major road project will include expanding to five lanes with curb, gutter, sidewalks and lighting and will include an interchange with I-540. Awaiting contraoct approval when preliminary studies will begin. The first phase of the project will consist of preliminary routing and environmental studies. This major road is a federally funded partnership.

Yeah it seems like a number of NWA cities have been looking at some wi-fi areas. Some cities have even been talking about possibly trying to make quite a bit of their cities wi-fi. But I'm not sure if it will happen or not.

I've been having to work up in Benton County lately. Remind me never to complain about traffic down here in Fayetteville. I haven't figured out why every other city in NWA seems to have worse traffic even though Fayetteville is the biggest. I guess more people commute, and perhaps commute farther to work up there.

[KJW]

Yeah it seems like a number of NWA cities have been looking at some wi-fi areas. Some cities have even been talking about possibly trying to make quite a bit of their cities wi-fi. But I'm not sure if it will happen or not.

I've been having to work up in Benton County lately. Remind me never to complain about traffic down here in Fayetteville. I haven't figured out why every other city in NWA seems to have worse traffic even though Fayetteville is the biggest. I guess more people commute, and perhaps commute farther to work up there.

Mith, that's why I've been trumpeting Gravette and the need to watch other communities nearby. Bentonville is wonderful and still (downtown) feels like a small place (though not for long if those downtown development plans you linked to get implemented, as I believe they will someday) but it's bursting at the seams.

As for wi-fi, pretty much every summer night you can drive by the square between 9:00-10:00 and see the glow from someone's laptop screen at a table near the fountain.

[thewizard16]

I read that article yesterday... thumbs up to Bentonville on starting to bring these kinds of benefits to the downtown area. Does anyone know if the 11 Mbps data rate is an accurate number, because if so, that's impressive, especially for a wireless network. At any rate, it amazes me to see how Bentonville has changed in the last few years, and the kinds of things coming to that area.

[KJW]

Forgot to add...the city of Bentonville's now opened John DeShields Boulevard to the Crystal Bridges (construction) entrance, I believe.

[masons_dad1]

I read that article yesterday... thumbs up to Bentonville on starting to bring these kinds of benefits to the downtown area. Does anyone know if the 11 Mbps data rate is an accurate number, because if so, that's impressive, especially for a wireless network. At any rate, it amazes me to see how Bentonville has changed in the last few years, and the kinds of things coming to that area.

The Bentonville Square supports IEEE 802.11b(11 Mbps data rate) Wi-Fi connections.

Conerning traffic issues in Bentonville and Rogers: Bentonville just passed a 1-cent-sales-tax extension to improve roads, parks and city services. The city will issue a $ 110 million bond for these improvemements. Funding will likely begin in January of 2008. This is in addition to all the major road improvements I've already mentioned. By the time Crystal Bridges opens in 2009 there won't be nearly the traffic concerns in Bentonville as there are today.

Here's a list of some of the improvements that will be funded by the $110 million bond:

$85 million for street construction and street improvements. Potential projects will be an interchange at Northeast J Street and I-540; widening 28th Street and Olive Street to five lanes in cooperation with Rogers; and improvements to Highway 112. This is in addition to the $37 million in federal funds going to the 8th Street project.

$15 million for city parks. This will include upgrades to Memorial Park; development of the planned 139 acre community park located northeast of I-540, near the intersection of NE J St. and Price Coffee Rd. The city is currently undergoing planning and design for its future development. Plans are to retain the natural features of the site while providing needed recreational amenities; and additional park and green space in southwest Bentonville.

$10 million for city services such as upgrades for the Police Department including expanding the Police Department headquarters and purchasing on-board computers for all patrol vehicles; upgrading equipment for the Fire Department; and for infrastructure improvement for the Bentonville Municipal Airport/Louise M. Thaden Field. A new taxiway will be constructed on the westside of the runway and several individuals have expressed their intentions to build private hangars near the new taxiway as soon as city utilities are made available.

The future of Bentonville is very bright indeed.

[thewizard16]

Oh I see. Well, an 11Mbps network is definitely not the same as an 11Mbps internet connection by far, but it's nice to have the capability for when we get there. With no network storage though, it doesn't really matter what the network data rate is, just what your internet speed is. Still, you can probably pull 3 or 4 megs. The way the article was worded I was unclear on that.

[Mith242]

Looks like Liberty Bank has filed foreclosure suits against Landquest Communities totaling more than $20 Mil. Sounds like they had been doing very well just a few years ago. I guess they were particularly hit hard by the current situation in the NWA real estate market.

[masons_dad1]

Looks like Liberty Bank has filed foreclosure suits against Landquest Communities totaling more than $20 Mil. Sounds like they had been doing very well just a few years ago. I guess they were particularly hit hard by the current situation in the NWA real estate market.

Goodbye to any hope of Central Park. Oh well. I still think the focus should be on Downtown Bentonville.

Here's the link: Bank seeks foreclosure on $20.2 million in projects

[KJW]

MasonsDad1,

I can't remember the thread this was on now (something about the housing market) but...

Remember us talking about my neighborhood in Bentonville...Pleasant View/Lindall, just west of I-540 and north of the David Glass Technology Center in Bentonville? You and others were surprised when I said that houses southwest of me (many with a glorious view of the DGTC or its north parking lot) had started to sell and were still selling at or very near their original prices in the $290,000 range (plus or minus) even though many of them are going to be near the eventual 8th St. Exit onto I-540 / future I-49 with its attendant expected noisy interchange. The homes are nice enough but I'm afraid I must agree that the subdivision itself doesn't have that much scenery or amenities.

Well, as I'd said on that thread there was a new batch of houses, 24 in all, within this subdivision which were built along Jamaica Street with opposing cul-de-sacs of 7th St joining Jamaica at its southern end. These 24 homes were built between 2003-2005. About 6-8 of them were initially occupied. 2/3rds of those 24 homes just sat there dark for a long time. Then we started having a gradual flurry of buying beginning early last year.

As of yesterday there are now only 2 of those 24 homes left unsold...all but 1 of the others are now occupied and that 1 will soon be. I don't believe anything special has happened apart from the "invisible hand" of the marketplace, which itself is special.

[KJW]

Interesting news from the Bentonville school district.

Bentonville High is one of only 37 public high schools nationwide to be named a "Blue Ribbon High School" by the U.S. Department of Education. The only other such school in the state to receive this designation was College Hill Elementary in Texarkana.

Perhaps that explains why Bentonville may need 7 and possibly 11 new schools by next decade. And the projected cost to build a second high school in B'ville? At least 100 million dollars.

[bubba72704]

Does anyone know anything about a big healthcare project going in out by the Wal-Mart distro center in Centerton? I noticed in the 'Business Matters' section of last Sunday's Democrat-Gazette that a group called Pinewood Healthcare paid $4,000,000 for 70 acres next to the distro center that's on Hwy 12 northeast of XNA. I checked the property records on the Washington and Benton county websites and apparently the same group owns Charter Vista in Fayetteville and just bought the "On Deck" building on Zion Rd. across from the Fayetteville Athletic Center.

I googled 'Pinewood Healthcare' and there's a major generic pharmaceutical company with this name... I know this is how rumors get started, but has anyone heard if there is going to be any big development (i.e. production facility? warehouse facility? healthcare facility?) located there?

[KJW]

Very good question, Bubba.

I've got another one. (Andrew Jensen, are you out there?)

Grubb & Ellis is opening an office in Bentonville. They are an international real estate firm, and Arkansas Business says firms like G & E are still coming to Arkansas "like kids in a candy store".

What is the lure for them given the local news reports on the real estate issues in NWA? (My own guess would be the answer could be found in something Warren Buffett said not long ago (paraphrased): "When others (investors) get bold, I get nervous. When others get nervous, I get bold" - teamed with Andrew's paper saying to expect out-of-town investors to start coming to NWA as local developers have problems.)

[cowbreath]

Very good question, Bubba.

I've got another one. (Andrew Jensen, are you out there?)

Grubb & Ellis is opening an office in Bentonville. They are an international real estate firm, and Arkansas Business says firms like G & E are still coming to Arkansas "like kids in a candy store".

What is the lure for them given the local news reports on the real estate issues in NWA? (My own guess would be the answer could be found in something Warren Buffett said not long ago (paraphrased): "When others (investors) get bold, I get nervous. When others get nervous, I get bold" - teamed with Andrew's paper saying to expect out-of-town investors to start coming to NWA as local developers have problems.)

Yeah I bet that is what John Nock is doing right now, which is why he is stalling on his big projects. I think I heard about a Little Rock investor capitalizing on falling prices here or foreclosures by developers. Anyways, it seems to make sense I guess. Unfortunately I don't think Lindsey is part of the people who are dumping property as they lose capital.

[Mith242]

A good thing to see with things being a bit slow at the moment. It's also a good investment for foreign companies. The dollar keeps going down so things over here are cheaper for foreign investors.

[masons_dad1]

Interesting news from the Bentonville school district.

Bentonville High is one of only 37 public high schools nationwide to be named a "Blue Ribbon High School" by the U.S. Department of Education. The only other such school in the state to receive this designation was College Hill Elementary in Texarkana.

Perhaps that explains why Bentonville may need 7 and possibly 11 new schools by next decade. And the projected cost to build a second high school in B'ville? At least 100 million dollars.

The projected cost to carry Bentonville schools to 2015 is $200 Million. The Bentonville Task Force responsible for making the projection was originally supposed to project the cost to 2020, but said they scaled it back to 2015 when the p-cost went over $200 Million. The projection was made using a 5% growth projection while Bentonville schools currently has a 7% growth, but this is actually slower growth than previous years.

Interestingly, the recommended changes to Bentonville schools is as follows:

[*]Changing the district

[KJW]

The projected cost to carry Bentonville schools to 2015 is $200 Million. The Bentonville Task Force responsible for making the projection was originally supposed to project the cost to 2020, but said they scaled it back to 2015 when the p-cost went over $200 Million. The projection was made using a 5% growth projection while Bentonville schools currently has a 7% growth, but this is actually slower growth than previous years.

Interestingly, the recommended changes to Bentonville schools is as follows:

[*]Changing the district

[cowbreath]

I read an article about Bentonville's new development called High Pointe. It actually sounds like a very nice development idea. It is kind of what I have had in my mind of what should be built. The combination of quality and affordable homes is rare. Quality in general seems rare in NWA for new developments. These houses are between like $109K and $142K and are 900sqft to 1250sqft with nice amenities and upgrades. They have garages in the back and large front porches.

Has anyone seen this or have any opinion about them?

[KJW]

I read an article about Bentonville's new development called High Pointe. It actually sounds like a very nice development idea. It is kind of what I have had in my mind of what should be built. The combination of quality and affordable homes is rare. Quality in general seems rare in NWA for new developments. These houses are between like $109K and $142K and are 900sqft to 1250sqft with nice amenities and upgrades. They have garages in the back and large front porches.

Has anyone seen this or have any opinion about them?

Saw that in the paper - if I'm able to be in that area I'll give a report. There are stlll homes and apartments being built in the area between Centerton and Bentonville at what appears to be a somewhat significant clip.

Weird thing to see in Bentonville #1 (the other one's on the "Crystal Bridges" thread): north of the main Centerton-Bentonville corridor there's a subdivision of very high-roofed homes with a "French chalet" (you architects would know the right term) look across from Elm Tree Elementary / Spring Hill Middle School.

Well, there's an office complex (?) being built immediately between this subdivision and the school that apparently has been designed to fit in with the subdivision, and the metal roof of this complex is even higher. In fact, it's way visible when you drive north toward the school on Elm Tree Road from Centerton. As of yesterday the north roof of this west-to-east building was on but the south one wasn't, making the building look like a big see-through dollhouse towering about the (already) high home roofs.

[masons_dad1]

Its about time. I'm just not too sure about these homes being comfortable enough for families, are they just miniature homes for people willing to cram themselves into a small box, so long as its made with quality materials? There are plenty of quality older homes with more room that cost much less than these in and around bentonville. They just need some updating, which in turn will yield a higher appreciation than a small box that's already updated. I guess its just a matter of wanting to scarifice comfort to save a few $ on a new home or taking an older more comfortable home and putting some work into it. For me its a matter of which would I rather leave for my son when i die?

But, beggars can't be choosers and it will probably be a few years before I can consider buying even an older home. By then I hope to find plenty of older homes even more affordable than the ones currently on the market.

[cowbreath]

Its about time. I'm just not too sure about these homes being comfortable enough for families, are they just miniature homes for people willing to cram themselves into a small box, so long as its made with quality materials? There are plenty of quality older homes with more room that cost much less than these in and around bentonville. They just need some updating, which in turn will yield a higher appreciation than a small box that's already updated. I guess its just a matter of wanting to scarifice comfort to save a few $ on a new home or taking an older more comfortable home and putting some work into it. For me its a matter of which would I rather leave for my son when i die?

But, beggars can't be choosers and it will probably be a few years before I can consider buying even an older home. By then I hope to find plenty of older homes even more affordable than the ones currently on the market.

At the least, it's supposed to be quality, so that's a plus. You're right about quality older homes being cheap, too, for that size. That's still probably what I would purchase, but if they're going to build a home I'm much rather it would be quality-made. Like I said in the first post, though, it "sounds" like a good development. I hope they actually do come through with something good. The guy's quotes in the article seemed too much like sales pitches.

I'm also interested in how the street plans look.

[KJW]

We're supposed to be on the brink of a recession, right?

And we're also supposed to be overbuilt on office space here in NWA, right?

Anyone driven Horsebarn (?) Rd. between the old Brioso Brazil restaurant and the Pinnacle Hills Mall interchange lately? There is office building after office building going up there. (And I'm not talking the three big buildings, including the Staybridge Suites, visible from the interstate.) It's in the Mercy/NWA Hospitals corridor, so I'm guessing there are several M.D.s who will be located there...

[Mith242]

We're supposed to be on the brink of a recession, right?

And we're also supposed to be overbuilt on office space here in NWA, right?

Anyone driven Horsebarn (?) Rd. between the old Brioso Brazil restaurant and the Pinnacle Hills Mall interchange lately? There is office building after office building going up there. (And I'm not talking the three big buildings, including the Staybridge Suites, visible from the interstate.) It's in the Mercy/NWA Hospitals corridor, so I'm guessing there are several M.D.s who will be located there...

I could be wrong but I don't think medical offices can be located in just any office space. So while there is an abundance of general office space. There might not be a lot of office space for medical purposes.

[RemusCal]

I think we'll continue to see office space (medical) being built in benton county. The medical services is the next big industry to develop in the area as the new hospital opens and more specialist move here due to population growth. That means high paying, white collar jobs. And with that effect, means more retail, restaurants, and other options in the area.

[jdevers]

Physicians can open offices in any type of office space really, they need a few specialized things but nothing really weird and none of it is due to zoning or anything. BUT doctors like to have their offices next to the hospitals where they have patients, no time waster quite like driving back and forth between the hospital and their offices.

[Mith242]

Physicians can open offices in any type of office space really, they need a few specialized things but nothing really weird and none of it is due to zoning or anything. BUT doctors like to have their offices next to the hospitals where they have patients, no time waster quite like driving back and forth between the hospital and their offices.

I stand corrected then. Some reason I thought they couldn't use just any ol' office space. Not sure what made me think that.