Osage Creek Performing Arts Center

[ash72704]

I read about this in a local paper a few weeks back and it really made my day. Apparently this venue has been in the "Idea" phase for a long time, however according to one of the newspapers they've recently received a $20 Million anonymous donation to get the ball rolling on the project. Their plan has been approved by the Benton Co. Planning Board, and they hope to break ground in a couple of months. I'll try to post a few links to paper articles and their website.

Here's a few links to newspaper articles & their website...

http://www.facebook.com/OsageCreek

http://www.fayettevi...r-2011-opening/

http://www.fayettevi...-benton-county/

[Mith242]

I read about this in a local paper a few weeks back and it really made my day. Apparently this venue has been in the "Idea" phase for a long time, however according to one of the newspapers they've recently received a $20 Million anonymous donation to get the ball rolling on the project. Their plan has been approved by the Benton Co. Planning Board, and they hope to break ground in a couple of months. I'll try to post a few links to paper articles and their website.

Here's a few links to newspaper articles & their website...

http://www.facebook.com/OsageCreek

http://www.fayettevi...r-2011-opening/

http://www.fayettevi...-benton-county/

Thanks for the info and welcome to the forum by the way.

[zman9810]

When I first heard about this I thought it sounded too good to be true but it sounds like it might actually happen. If it does it could be a landmark venue that is a must-be-at for artists and their fans. It would be very cool to have a place like this to attend outdoor concerts at right here in NWA! The Green aspect makes it even more attractive. This could be a venue that draws the acts and concert-goers who now attend Rocklahoma over at Pryor, Oklahoma and even Wakarusa goers. It would seem some sort of signature festival would be needed in order for it to be a success.

I certainly wonder where the $20 million donation is coming from- that is a huge chunk of change for such a venture. They must have done some marketing studies to see if this was a good return on investment.

I think it is interesting that the newspaper article out a while back quoted one of those involved with the project as saying that it would provide an alternative to the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. The reasoning quoted was that the WAC was too small to hold some larger events. I wonder what events that the WAC might be considered for might be held here?

[ash72704]

When I first heard about this I thought it sounded too good to be true but it sounds like it might actually happen. If it does it could be a landmark venue that is a must-be-at for artists and their fans. It would be very cool to have a place like this to attend outdoor concerts at right here in NWA!

I'm sure we're all wondering if the donation came from the Waltons... Which would be very interesting if it did. It would certainly show that they want Arts venues across the entire region -- not just concentrated in Benton county. One of the big problems I have with living in NWA is the lack of concert events.... I'm certain the demand for big name bands is here, considering the size of the metropolitan area & the large amount of college kids (20 thousand at U of A and 8 thousand at NWACC)

I would love to see a scenario here in a couple of years where I could spend a Saturday taking my kids to Crystal Bridges in the morning, driving to Fayetteville to see a Broadway musical matinee, then going to an outdoor concert at Osage Creek in the evening. Not a bad day at all.

[zman9810]

I'm sure we're all wondering if the donation came from the Waltons... Which would be very interesting if it did. It would certainly show that they want Arts venues across the entire region -- not just concentrated in Benton county. One of the big problems I have with living in NWA is the lack of concert events.... I'm certain the demand for big name bands is here, considering the size of the metropolitan area & the large amount of college kids (20 thousand at U of A and 8 thousand at NWACC)

I would love to see a scenario here in a couple of years where I could spend a Saturday taking my kids to Crystal Bridges in the morning, driving to Fayetteville to see a Broadway musical matinee, then going to an outdoor concert at Osage Creek in the evening. Not a bad day at all.

I second your ideas about Crystal Bridges/ Wac in Fayetteville/ Osage Creek concert- that wuld be fantastic. We wouldn't be forced to travel hours away to have those experiences.

One reason for the lack of large concert events in NWA is the existance of new, large venues close by in Tulsa (BOK)and Kansas City (Sprint Ctr.) not to forget others such as Verizon in Little Rock, Ford in Oklahoma City and the myriad of venues in Dallas. It is hard to justify a event coming to NWA when there is a larger population to draw attendees from close to those venues. It is the same problem NWA has in attacting new business- if it is a company looking to relocate we have to overcome the lack of amenities that other regional cities can offer. We actually do quite well- there have been a lot of big name acts come through the area in recent years- I'd still like to see more though.

[slyder1]

I second your ideas about Crystal Bridges/ Wac in Fayetteville/ Osage Creek concert- that wuld be fantastic. We wouldn't be forced to travel hours away to have those experiences.

One reason for the lack of large concert events in NWA is the existance of new, large venues close by in Tulsa (BOK)and Kansas City (Sprint Ctr.) not to forget others such as Verizon in Little Rock, Ford in Oklahoma City and the myriad of venues in Dallas. It is hard to justify a event coming to NWA when there is a larger population to draw attendees from close to those venues. It is the same problem NWA has in attacting new business- if it is a company looking to relocate we have to overcome the lack of amenities that other regional cities can offer. We actually do quite well- there have been a lot of big name acts come through the area in recent years- I'd still like to see more though.

WOW! This place looks amazing... I'm excited to see this open. I think what you guys aren't realizing is that this is an outdoor venue. The big arena's in Tulsa, OKC, KC, and Dallas don't compete with outdoor venues. Big arena's are for the fall/winter season, then the tours hit the Outdoor Pavilion's like this during the summer months... they make a hell of a lot more money that way. I think y'all will be shocked who gets booked here, that is if the concert promoter hired for the job knows what their doing. I'm just glad one of us in the Ozarks is building something like this, because it is ridiculous it has taken this long. This place screams music festivals. Up here in Springfield the city was going to build a pavilion downtown, but then scrapped the plans because there wasn't enough land for a venue large enough like this Osage Creek. Anyways I have no doubt that we will see the likes of Dave Mathews Band, Tom Petty, Carrie Underwood, Rascall Flatts, etc.... come through this place.

[Mith242]

I guess it hadn't crossed my mind yet. But I'd imagine it's a good guess the AMP will eventually be relocating to this facility. I suppose something could happen and they couldn't work things out but I think that would be a big surprise.

[OCPAC]

Hi Folks; we are so very excited to see the conversations about the Osage Creek Performing Arts Center. I would like to clarify a few things for you all:

1) There is NO 20 Million dollar "donation" nor was there ever. We are looking at a few different options for financing, mostly in the private sector. Money is always a big issue with any project especially one of this scope and scale, but we are confident of the merits of this project to finalize our funding.

2) We are surely looking to host a diverse group of events, not only Rock & Roll. We would ideally like to see a variety that includes Classical Music as well as Pop, and performing arts.

3) We need local support!! This project is so much bigger than any one person or company, our goal is to bring to the forefront all of the culture and art of the region, and give it a global spotlight. We welcome any and all input from interested parties to help us best serve the people of this great region.

4) In spite of all the musings on our FB Page, there is currently no schedule of events at this time to be announced. We are actively working to oversee our logistacal and tactical planning to ensure that whatever we do is not only a success financially, but to ensure that any events are planned out well so as to minimalize the immediate impact on our communities.

Thanks, and stay in touch... Osage Creek Performing Arts Center (OCPAC)

[Mith242]

Hi Folks; we are so very excited to see the conversations about the Osage Creek Performing Arts Center. I would like to clarify a few things for you all:

1) There is NO 20 Million dollar "donation" nor was there ever. We are looking at a few different options for financing, mostly in the private sector. Money is always a big issue with any project especially one of this scope and scale, but we are confident of the merits of this project to finalize our funding.

2) We are surely looking to host a diverse group of events, not only Rock & Roll. We would ideally like to see a variety that includes Classical Music as well as Pop, and performing arts.

3) We need local support!! This project is so much bigger than any one person or company, our goal is to bring to the forefront all of the culture and art of the region, and give it a global spotlight. We welcome any and all input from interested parties to help us best serve the people of this great region.

4) In spite of all the musings on our FB Page, there is currently no schedule of events at this time to be announced. We are actively working to oversee our logistacal and tactical planning to ensure that whatever we do is not only a success financially, but to ensure that any events are planned out well so as to minimalize the immediate impact on our communities.

Thanks, and stay in touch... Osage Creek Performing Arts Center (OCPAC)

Thanks for the info and clarification and welcome to the forum.

[zman9810]

Yes, thanks for the information. I guess that is good news/bad news about there not being a $20 million donation. If there were one financing wouldn't be needed- you could build a very nice venue with that. On the flip side- financing made be hard to come by without a sizable gift of some kind.

I do have a couple of questions though. I don't mean to be discouraging or negative but have you done marketing studies that show a clear need for a project of this kind and scope in NWA? The population base in NWA seems small for something this size when there are many all-weather venues in the region that are closer to larger metros. The arena that was proposed for Benton County several years ago would have been a likely failure because of the competition from the new arenas within a short driving distance from NWA. When agencies are looking to book acts they look for that large pool of ticket buyers close by to sell to.

You somewhat addressed my second question but are you looking to have a regular large festival at Osage Creek? Seems like that would go a long ways towards having success. I certainly would like to see the project happen and look foward to hearing more about it.

[bubba72704]

Looks like this is really going to happen.... (fingers crossed)

Saw this article in the Fayetteville Flyer -- Ground breaking in about a week, and should have it's first concert in July.

http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2010/11/29/osage-creek-performing-arts-center-on-track-to-open-this-summer/

[zman9810]

Looks like this is really going to happen.... (fingers crossed)

Saw this article in the Fayetteville Flyer -- Ground breaking in about a week, and should have it's first concert in July.

http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2010/11/29/osage-creek-performing-arts-center-on-track-to-open-this-summer/

This is going to be great! It will be so nice to have a large performance venue that is not controlled by the WAC. I'll buy a ticket to every show that I can. Of course, if it is successful you can be sure they will come calling soon....

[bubba72704]

Looks like Willie Nelson's going to be the first act.... July 3rd -- mark your calendars! Really exciting to have a good outdoor venue for music here in NWA... Especially one that will fit 15,000 people.

http://www.countrythrowdown.com/story/news/new_shows_added__york_pa_and_siloam_springs_ar

[zman9810]

Looks like Willie Nelson's going to be the first act.... July 3rd -- mark your calendars! Really exciting to have a good outdoor venue for music here in NWA... Especially one that will fit 15,000 people.

http://www.countrythrowdown.com/story/news/new_shows_added__york_pa_and_siloam_springs_ar

That's great news- good way to start off the OCPAC.

[Sammy00]

Just kind of wondering what is going on with this project.

I read that the first concert, featuring Willie Nelson, was canceled due to inclement weather July 3rd. The strange thing is that I have heard nothing since, and the Facebook page hasn't been updated since June.

Really expected the buzz to be a little louder when it was completed a couple of months ago.

[Mith242]

Just kind of wondering what is going on with this project.

I read that the first concert, featuring Willie Nelson, was canceled due to inclement weather July 3rd. The strange thing is that I have heard nothing since, and the Facebook page hasn't been updated since June.

Really expected the buzz to be a little louder when it was completed a couple of months ago.

Looks like they just updated their Facebook page. Said weather and money set them back. They even mentioned basically this whole thing was paid for by three people.

[TRB]

A recent post from Facebook from the owner says he hasn't given up on this project and plans completing the venue and  600 acres that's attached to it.

[comreguy]

A recent post from Facebook from the owner says he hasn't given up on this project and plans completing the venue and 540 600 acres that's attached to it.

 

Gimme a break...

[TRB]

You got to give him credit in the fact that he hasn't lost it. What was done wasn't free. The Amp's max capacity is what, maybe 7,000. that's small for larger acts like Dave Matthews Band and so on. I suppose it's feasible as I have my doubts about whether Walton Art's ever use BWA like was suggested when the whole who'll get what debate was going. Certainly don't see it till BWA undergoes a major reno, which certainly three years away at the minimum. I suppose the real competition for a venue that large is Tulsa's BOK which has quite a bit of scheduling flexibility that lands them tons of music acts without a high major tenant.to work around. Compare it to the FedEx Forum in terms of bookings non sports related.

 

Last I heard, he wanted to tweak it in that he wanted to add a row of suites between the first and second level of permanent seating.

 

And there's something posted about a week ago about it becoming a full service campground for Bikes, Blues, and Bar B Que.

 

I've gone out there, is a hidden but beautiful location with tons of space  around it. There's something eerie about it sitting like this though

 

 

 

[bkern1989]

I moved here a year ago, and believe it or not...I found out about it while browsing google maps.  Once I saw that it was there, I drove by there.  It's in a neat area, but having two amps that close to each other just isn't going to work.  And since the Walmart Amp is open, I don't see this place being used for much other than a campground.  

[TRB]

In theory,it would hold 15,000 plus. That's double The Amp and double the fixed seats and double the lawn seats.  Half of the shows currently booked at the AMP has no chance of half filling the place when you add in the lawn seating, Boston and Foreigner should be a double billed show, I believe those two bands have done that before and played venues around that size. The Amp will never get to huge acts unless Walmart just has the pull but the tickets would be in short, short supply. A venue like Osage Creek is ideal for acts like Dave Matthews Band, get them up here during a time when school is in session and it's an easy hard sellout, same goes for Jimmy Buffet. There's no modern arena that will hold anything in the range from 5,000 to 10,000. I'm completely discounting Barnhill cause it was never a traditional arena. BWA was built on the cheap, a 19,000 seat arena for 30 million even in 93 was on the cheap. It was designed as a basketball only facility with just enough gear to pull off something like the share holders meeting and graduations. Did you know that the whole arena floor is premanently placed wool with thousands of small springs underneath it. It is great for basketball and there are plans to reconfigure the seating with new loge style seating areas behind the goals , build at least 3/4ths of a new concourse and modernize the dock and backstage to bring it to a multipurpose standard but it's going to be a bit more time before it happens. The U of A also has plans for a smaller arena that would mainly replace the function of Barnhill but would provide an arena the size shows like Disney on Ice and Ringling Bros. would need. I have seen them try concerts at the Track facility and that simply isn't a good alternative. Everything except for the new Amp is over 5 years from completion at the earliest. By then with current trends, NWA will be approaching 600,000 easy along with Ft. Smith as a drawing area.

 

When you google earthed it, did you notice the steel for the stage structure is still there, it's really not that far off from getting finished out, most of the major earthwork is done. If you didn't hear the story, the year it was to open, the winter and spring was incredibly wet, he blew the construction budget for overtime but the rain would not let up that year. There was little more work after that and I've heard that some big money in the area were waiting for him to throw in the towel and by it on the cheap and finish it out. So far, it hasn't happened.

 

If you read the Wish List thread, this would be a good area for my ideas on a manmade whitewater facility and an year round snowflex complex.