176 replies to this topic

[mcheiss]

Our unemployement rate keeps dropping, which could be a negative factor in future growth. But I'm confidant that more people will continue moving to the area, and that our MSA will grow and extend past McDonald County and Madison counties. I wonder if Carroll county has been added, but I'm sure it will cross the Oklahoma border and more people will work in NW Arkansas.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 18 2005, 02:30 PM, said:

Our unemployement rate keeps dropping, which could be a negative factor in future growth. But I'm confidant that more people will continue moving to the area, and that our MSA will grow and extend past McDonald County and Madison counties. I wonder if Carroll county has been added, but I'm sure it will cross the Oklahoma border and more people will work in NW Arkansas.

Carrol County hasn't been added yet.  But I am curious to see what area our mtero is growing.  It would seem another Missouri county like Barry.  Newton County to the north of McDonald I would think would have to be considered more a part of Joplin.  I think with more development along Beaver Lake our metro could eventually include Carrol County.  I could also see some of the Oklahoma counties eventually becoming a part of out metro one day too.  Not sure when any of this might happen though.  But back to the unemployment figures, although it is nice having such low unemployment it has caused problems too.  I does make it hard to fill jobs and it also keeps certain companies from developing more in northwest Arkansas because it might prove too hard to fill jobs.

[mcheiss]

Barry and Newton would be great to add.

Carroll will probably be added within the next 5 years by my estimates.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 18 2005, 02:48 PM, said:

Barry and Newton would be great to add.

Carroll will probably be added within the next 5 years by my estimates.

I'm assuming you're talking about Newton County in Arkansas.  Newton County in Missouri is also not too far away, just north of McDonald County.  I think Newton could be quite a while if ever.  While I certainly like Newton County I'm wary of development going into it.  I know I can't say certain areas aren't allowed to have development.  I also know Newton County has high unemployment.  I'd just hate to see much of Newton County like some other areas around the major national parks.  I'd like to leave a lot of the area the way it is in case there's an option to make more of that area a national park.  I guess in some ways I sound like a bit of a hypocrit.  I do want development here in northwest Arkansas.  But I do hate the idea of much of the rest of the Ozarks simply becoming the suburbs for northwest Arkansas or even the Springfield-Branson area.  The Ozarks have been unique in that they are some of the least developed areas in the eastern half of the US.  But for better or worse this seems to be changing.  The Missouri Ozarks are already starting to get lots of development.  It probably won't be long before the Arkansas Ozarks start succumbing.  I just hope there is more effort to preserve some of our Ozarks.

[mcheiss]

I would love to see the Buffalo National River become a National Park, yet I do know what comes with development, which could ruin the whole area.

I don't want us to become another Springfield or so, I would rather people from other places come fill in jobs for us in Benton and Washington Counties. I would rather the development stay in the two counties, than spread out like the "Atlanta Effect".

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 18 2005, 03:15 PM, said:

I would love to see the Buffalo National River become a National Park, yet I do know what comes with development, which could ruin the whole area.

I don't want us to become another Springfield or so, I would rather people from other places come fill in jobs for us in Benton and Washington Counties. I would rather the development stay in the two counties, than spread out like the "Atlanta Effect".

In some ways this is why I want to the to build up.  I know there are some in the area who aren't too crazy about having out metro feel more like a big city.  But I really don't want sprawl and suburbs spreading out through the rest of the Ozarks.  I'd much rather build up and have a more compact city.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 18 2005, 03:23 PM, said:

In some ways this is why I want to the to build up.  I know there are some in the area who aren't too crazy about having out metro feel more like a big city.  But I really don't want sprawl and suburbs spreading out through the rest of the Ozarks.  I'd much rather build up and have a more compact city.

I'm sure we will become more centralized. I agree and I don't want another Springfield/Branson Area. Most people moving to the area are from large Metropolitan areas that would rather live in an area where they have the choice to go to the outdoors, live in either a condo or a single family home, and still have the convienance of a downtown like setting and suburbian shopping.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 18 2005, 03:28 PM, said:

I'm sure we will become more centralized. I agree and I don't want another Springfield/Branson Area. Most people moving to the area are from large Metropolitan areas that would rather live in an area where they have the choice to go to the outdoors, live in either a condo or a single family home, and still have the convienance of a downtown like setting and suburbian shopping.

We might have to change some people's thinking.  I think the reason some people move here is because they want the feel of the suburbs without having a large city nearby.  These people aren't they type who want a lot of big serious development or widening I-540 to 6 to 8 lanes and so on.  That and some of the people who also have lived their whole live here who are having a hard time imagining the smalltime feel of their areas they grew up in is disappearing.  Not to say they aren't people who do want development.  But this area is going through a bit of a culture shock.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 18 2005, 03:33 PM, said:

We might have to change some people's thinking.  I think the reason some people move here is because they want the feel of the suburbs without having a large city nearby.  These people aren't they type who want a lot of big serious development or widening I-540 to 6 to 8 lanes and so on.  That and some of the people who also have lived their whole live here who are having a hard time imagining the smalltime feel of their areas they grew up in is disappearing.  Not to say they aren't people who do want development.  But this area is going through a bit of a culture shock.

Hopefully the culture shock here will turn into a culture spark.

[mcheiss]

Some great news for residents of Southwest Missouri.

Officials from Freeman Health System, a nonprofit organization with its principal offices in Joplin, Mo., recently confirmed the purchase of 30 acres in Jane, Mo., but declined to give specifics about their planned use for the land, which was the former site of Sugar Creek Motocross Park.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that the sale closed Oct. 3. The site is located less than a mile north of a Wal-Mart Supercenter and, like the Wal-Mart, is east of U.S. 71. The developers intend to construct a hospital and clinic with a helicopter pad, and future plans include building satellite locations for Crowder College and Freeman Southwest Family YMCA, both of Neosho, Mo.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Nov 5 2005, 11:17 AM, said:

Some great news for residents of Southwest Missouri.

Officials from Freeman Health System, a nonprofit organization with its principal offices in Joplin, Mo., recently confirmed the purchase of 30 acres in Jane, Mo., but declined to give specifics about their planned use for the land, which was the former site of Sugar Creek Motocross Park.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that the sale closed Oct. 3. The site is located less than a mile north of a Wal-Mart Supercenter and, like the Wal-Mart, is east of U.S. 71. The developers intend to construct a hospital and clinic with a helicopter pad, and future plans include building satellite locations for Crowder College and Freeman Southwest Family YMCA, both of Neosho, Mo.

Thanks for the update from southwest Missouri Matt.  This area isn't very well represented in the Missouri forum.  And McDonald County is now in our metro so we need to pay more attention to this area ourselves.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Nov 5 2005, 12:15 PM, said:

Thanks for the update from southwest Missouri Matt.  This area isn't very well represented in the Missouri forum.  And McDonald County is now in our metro so we need to pay more attention to this area ourselves.

The area sure is booming.

I went up to Jane a little while ago, and saw that they were building a ford dealership along with another dealership about 1/4 mile from the new Supercenter.

That area sure is booming.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Nov 5 2005, 12:19 PM, said:

The area sure is booming.

I went up to Jane a little while ago, and saw that they were building a ford dealership along with another dealership about 1/4 mile from the new Supercenter.

That area sure is booming.

I haven't been up there in a while, but that's the impression I've been getting.  They seem to be getting on the boom that's been growing here in our area.  Although in some ways it will be an even bigger change for them.  Although northwest Arkansas wasn't the most populated area of the state there was some cities and population here.  Areas like McDonald County didn't start off with much but some pretty small towns.  Granted you do have Joplin a little further north.

[mcheiss]

Wal-Mart put a backup office about 1/2 mile away from the Supercenter a few years ago.

They relocated it from Tulsa.


I have heard some news that Disney has been purchasing land up in McDonald County as well. From what I've been told, it's not going to be a theme park.

It's been suggested it's to be a distribution center. I can't confirm anything though.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Nov 5 2005, 12:41 PM, said:

Wal-Mart put a backup office about 1/2 mile away from the Supercenter a few years ago.

They relocated it from Tulsa.
I have heard some news that Disney has been purchasing land up in McDonald County as well. From what I've been told, it's not going to be a theme park.

It's been suggested it's to be a distribution center. I can't confirm anything though.

Yeah we all speculated on that back when KWJ first mentioned a while back ago.  I guess that was before you made it on here Matt.  I guess I'm still being open with the whole thing.  I think when people first heard the word Disney and buying land everyone just assumed it was going to be a amusement park.  I guess while I think an amusement park is an interesting idea for the area I never would have thought of someone this big coming into the area.  There has been talks of amusement parks in the past in northwest Arkansas before.  But I don't think any of them were anything huge either.  Probably closer to Magic Springs size or perhaps even smaller.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Nov 5 2005, 12:57 PM, said:

Yeah we all speculated on that back when KWJ first mentioned a while back ago.  I guess that was before you made it on here Matt.  I guess I'm still being open with the whole thing.  I think when people first heard the word Disney and buying land everyone just assumed it was going to be a amusement park.  I guess while I think an amusement park is an interesting idea for the area I never would have thought of someone this big coming into the area.  There has been talks of amusement parks in the past in northwest Arkansas before.  But I don't think any of them were anything huge either.  Probably closer to Magic Springs size or perhaps even smaller.

There's only one theme park that I have heard rumored near the area , which is in Branson.

Ironically, Disney is building the mid-america amusement park. My connection at Disney told me that they were going to build a park there, although I can't confirm everything 100%.

Edited by mcheiss, 05 November 2005 - 06:30 PM.

[mcheiss]

Also, I think this has been mentioned before, but I will say it again.

McDonalds purchased a tract of land next to the Supercenter in Jane. KFC, Long John Silver's, Ryans and Pizza Hut have all been in discussions there as well.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Nov 5 2005, 08:43 PM, said:

Also, I think this has been mentioned before, but I will say it again.

McDonalds purchased a tract of land next to the Supercenter in Jane. KFC, Long John Silver's, Ryans and Pizza Hut have all been in discussions there as well.

Yeah this probably wouldn't excite most people, but I remember when Jane pretty much had nothing. It was one of those towns if you blinked you missed the town.

Edited by Mith242, 06 November 2005 - 07:52 AM.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Nov 6 2005, 07:52 AM, said:

Yeah this probably wouldn't excite most people, but I remember when Jane pretty much had nothing. It was one of those towns if you blinked you missed the town.

I remember going up there, and only seeing a liquor store.

Now, it seams like another section of NW Arkansas.

[mcheiss]

An update on NWA schools.

Springdale has decided that the cities 3rd High school will be open in 2011 instead of 2012.

The district decided to open it early, because of record growth in enrollment. The district has grown 1,250 students so far from last year.

Also, the school district is planning on building an additional 11 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 junior high schools by 2015.