Master List: Major Northwest Arkansas Construction

[mcheiss]

What company is going into the warehouse that's going to be bringing in "a few hundred" new jobs? Will it be a manufacturing warehouse? Nice plans though.

Unknown right now. We might find out whenever it goes before the Planning Commission. I'm not sure how big Wal-Mart's Distribution center is (My guess 500,000 sq. feet), but it employs a few hundred.

[mcheiss]

Very urban, I like. Thanks for the pics Mith.

[dimebag1980]

The builder(s) should have put lattice between the brick piers. Normally lattice looks cheap, but when put between brick piers it takes on a very nice, classy look. Aside from that, I like the development. Is it a large subdivision or just a street or two of these?

[nwa_479]

Does anybody have a rendering of what the sports arena will look like? And in which direction is the Best Buy facing?

[mcheiss]

Does anybody have a rendering of what the sports arena will look like? And in which direction is the Best Buy facing?

Renderings of the arena have been released, but I have not been able to get ahold of any. If I had a number to contact Talley, I would call and ask for some renderings.

Also, Best Buy is facing south. You can see it from the Interstate. It's right across 45th street on the most western part of the Eastern half of I-540.

[Mith242]

Very urban, I like. Thanks for the pics Mith.

I think they're very nice too. They have a nice style to them on a number of levels. I also like them because they take up less room than what you typically see. Allows for a little more density.

The builder(s) should have put lattice between the brick piers. Normally lattice looks cheap, but when put between brick piers it takes on a very nice, classy look. Aside from that, I like the development. Is it a large subdivision or just a street or two of these?

So far it looks like just a couple of streets worth. But one of the papers up here mentioned something about 150 homes which I certainly didn't see. They either made a mistake or are planning on more in the surrounding area. There is plenty of room in the area for more. I've wondered if they're waiting to see how well these do first before they possibly move on to another phase of them.

[fooman03]

I believe the Distribution Center is well over 1 million square feet. Took a tour of it for a class I was in a couple years ago and I believe they said it was 1.2 million square feet or something around there. If anyone can confirm the square footage that would be great.

[masons_dad1]

I think they're very nice too. They have a nice style to them on a number of levels. I also like them because they take up less room than what you typically see. Allows for a little more density.

So far it looks like just a couple of streets worth. But one of the papers up here mentioned something about 150 homes which I certainly didn't see. They either made a mistake or are planning on more in the surrounding area. There is plenty of room in the area for more. I've wondered if they're waiting to see how well these do first before they possibly move on to another phase of them.

At $225K starting price for these homes it will be VERY interesting to see how well they do. I could see 50 homes selling over the next year and a half, but 150 seems hard to fathom, especially when the prices will go up by the time they're built.

[dimebag1980]

I think they're very nice too. They have a nice style to them on a number of levels. I also like them because they take up less room than what you typically see. Allows for a little more density.

So far it looks like just a couple of streets worth. But one of the papers up here mentioned something about 150 homes which I certainly didn't see. They either made a mistake or are planning on more in the surrounding area. There is plenty of room in the area for more. I've wondered if they're waiting to see how well these do first before they possibly move on to another phase of them.

Maybe they're doing it in phases... that would explain why there's only a street or two now. Make the money off Phase I and then roll into Phase II and so on. That's how Island Park and Provenance are being done here.

[mcheiss]

Did anyone see that the chancellor of UAMS estimated that an expansion into NWA would cost around $11 Million anually? A lot of legislators are looking at this proposed expansion as a bit unnecessary. They feel that they're are other underdeserved markets and more potential markets out in Arkansas that could benefit more with a UAMS expansion campus then NWA. The chancellor is saying that he was approached by officials from NWA about the idea, and he states that if an expansion isn't done in NWA, that a competiting medical school could open up in 15 years. So it sounds like the chancellor is looking quite seriously at this area.

[mcheiss]

I've heard about another New Urbanism project in Fayetteville. It's called Westside Village, but I don't have any more info on it. I think it's suppose to be near Rupple Road. Anyway, does anyone else have any info on it?

[Mith242]

I've heard about another New Urbanism project in Fayetteville. It's called Westside Village, but I don't have any more info on it. I think it's suppose to be near Rupple Road. Anyway, does anyone else have any info on it?

To be honest I hadn't heard much about it till I saw that it had passed in the paper today. It's being done by John Nock. He's been pretty busy lately. He's also doing the Radisson/Cosmopolitan, the Renaissance, the Lofts at Underwood Plaza and Rupple Row. And those are just the current ones he has going.

[Mith242]

Did anyone see that the chancellor of UAMS estimated that an expansion into NWA would cost around $11 Million anually? A lot of legislators are looking at this proposed expansion as a bit unnecessary. They feel that they're are other underdeserved markets and more potential markets out in Arkansas that could benefit more with a UAMS expansion campus then NWA. The chancellor is saying that he was approached by officials from NWA about the idea, and he states that if an expansion isn't done in NWA, that a competiting medical school could open up in 15 years. So it sounds like the chancellor is looking quite seriously at this area.

Yeah I saw that. Of course I'm biased because I live here but this seems to me a great place to do it. We have the hospitals and the population. It seems to me we're a better choice than say Ft Smith or Jonesboro. They did mention maybe they should simply do more down in Little Rock. But as you mentioned supposedly there's a chance another competing medical school could start up. Aporkalypse would probably be able to judge this. But I think NWA is getting big enough that we need to get something like this going. Another thing I've wondered is if this will be based more in one particular location or will this just be scattered throughout all the NWA hospitals.

[mcheiss]

I gurantee that if the program is started here, it will be at Washington Regional.

[Mith242]

I gurantee that if the program is started here, it will be at Washington Regional.

It seems like a good guess but I didn't want to count out the other hospitals in the area. That and I thought it might be a good chance for the U of A to have something going on up in Benton County as well.

[mcheiss]

Thanks to the all mighty internet, I've found out some more info on the project. It's going to be on 29 acres along Rupple Road north of the Boys and Girls Club. The development is going to have 352 units and 74,000 sq. feet of non-residential land. It does follow the 2025 City plan as well.

[Mith242]

Thanks to the all mighty internet, I've found out some more info on the project. It's going to be on 29 acres along Rupple Road north of the Boys and Girls Club. The development is going to have 352 units and 74,000 sq. feet of non-residential land. It does follow the 2025 City plan as well.

Yeah from what I heard it did sound like it would fit in well with the 2025 Plan. The only possible problem I heard about was the size of the intersections.

[masons_dad1]

Thanks to the all mighty internet, I've found out some more info on the project. It's going to be on 29 acres along Rupple Road north of the Boys and Girls Club. The development is going to have 352 units and 74,000 sq. feet of non-residential land. It does follow the 2025 City plan as well.

Probably more $225K & up homes.

[mcheiss]

I heard about another large project today. Fed-Ex is going to build a 45,000 square foot distribution center in Lowell of Arkansas 264 and I-540. Construction is starting on December 10th. I don't know where the nearest Distribution center for Fed-ex is, but I think it's either in Tulsa or Little Rock.

[Mith242]

I heard about another large project today. Fed-Ex is going to build a 45,000 square foot distribution center in Lowell of Arkansas 264 and I-540. Construction is starting on December 10th. I don't know where the nearest Distribution center for Fed-ex is, but I think it's either in Tulsa or Little Rock.

Interesting. It might be nice to have a bigger presence here.

[Aporkalypse]

Yeah I saw that. Of course I'm biased because I live here but this seems to me a great place to do it. We have the hospitals and the population. It seems to me we're a better choice than say Ft Smith or Jonesboro. They did mention maybe they should simply do more down in Little Rock. But as you mentioned supposedly there's a chance another competing medical school could start up. Aporkalypse would probably be able to judge this. But I think NWA is getting big enough that we need to get something like this going. Another thing I've wondered is if this will be based more in one particular location or will this just be scattered throughout all the NWA hospitals.

The threat of starting a second medical school is kind of an idle threat. Arkansas already educated more students per capita than most states. In fact, MS educates only 99 students vs 150 in Arkansas despite similar populations. UAMS has already said Arkansas legislators will have to repeal laws restricting enrollment by out of state applicants and getting rid of the congressional district quotas that traditionally discrimimate against Central and NWA applicants or it won't be able to find qualified applicants to fill the spots.

I agree that if/when the branch of UAMS opens up it will be at Washington Regional. Despite all of the talk, it would probably hurt the other hospitals in the area some and I would bet there is some angst over this, which is probably why we haven't heard Washington Regional brought up (yet).

What is proposed (a satellite campus) is fairly unusual. Aside from the Kansas example often used I don't know of others though I bet there are one or two. UNC students rotate at Charlotte Regional as well, come to think of it, but I don't know if that's a true "satellite". Tennessee has campuses in Nashville and Knoxville. Most other medical schools simply use other hospitals in the same metro to expand enrollment. UT-Southwestern students rotate at Baylor Medical Center. It would probably be considerably cheaper (essentially free) for UAMS students to rotate at Baptist or St Vincent's, the two largest hospitals in the state. Baptist already trains some of the residents and it's a natural fit but I think there are other issues here. One is that Baptist is UAMS's direct competitor and UAMS doesn't want to give them any assistance. The other is UAMS wants its hands on money from NWA donors to fund the project to a degree. I think part of the risk is that by opening residency programs in NWA you dilute the programs on the main campus and may create two sets of mediocre programs.

[mcheiss]

I guess I'll post the groundbreaking of the Lofts at Underwood Plaza.

The nine floor condo/mixed use project broke ground last week. The project is going to be situated right off Dickson Street next to the Qdoba building. The 9 Floor structure will have ground floor retail/restaurant and condos on the remaining floors.

[masons_dad1]

That render looks much better than the model in the newspaper. The darker color would fit better on Dickson Street.

[mcheiss]

Here's the last of my pics of the J.B. Hunt Tower of Excellence and the other Walton College of Business Buildings.

[strmchsr77]

I've heard about another New Urbanism project in Fayetteville. It's called Westside Village, but I don't have any more info on it. I think it's suppose to be near Rupple Road. Anyway, does anyone else have any info on it?

Here you go Matt. This came through the PC earlier this week. Here is some info for you.

Westside Village