5 replies to this topic

[KJW]

http://www.nwarktime...cdr/News/31626/

Here's my comments, gang...

- Interesting that this article appeared the same day the one I linked about Springfield, MO did.  (I'm sure it wasn't planned that way, there's just THAT much growth in the Ozarks).  I know Rachel Davis, the reporter, and she's a sharp cookie.

- Ya'll have to make the northeast drive from XNA to Bentonville via Vaughn (past the W-M distribution center) sometime...I remember driving it when I first interviewed here in April 2002.  The CHANGES...

- When we read stories like this (at the end you see some people cautioning that it won't last, which it may not) then we read rumors about Walt Disney in McDonald County...

I'm reminded of a builder in Siloam Springs I talked with last year who said he was amazed when he kept approaching ARVEST and other banks for financing and they'd GRANT it.  He said they must really think there's a lot to come to this area for them to keep letting builders build like they do.

- Last night on KNWA I saw 2-3 DEVELOPERS (not contractors like Hanke Brothers, but developers like Terminella & Associates) running spots in the 10:00 PM news.

Fascinating.

[masons_dad1]

KJW, on Feb 26 2006, 04:01 PM, said:

http://www.nwarktime...cdr/News/31626/

Here's my comments, gang...

- Interesting that this article appeared the same day the one I linked about Springfield, MO did.  (I'm sure it wasn't planned that way, there's just THAT much growth in the Ozarks).  I know Rachel Davis, the reporter, and she's a sharp cookie.

- Ya'll have to make the northeast drive from XNA to Bentonville via Vaughn (past the W-M distribution center) sometime...I remember driving it when I first interviewed here in April 2002.  The CHANGES...

- When we read stories like this (at the end you see some people cautioning that it won't last, which it may not) then we read rumors about Walt Disney in McDonald County...

I'm reminded of a builder in Siloam Springs I talked with last year who said he was amazed when he kept approaching ARVEST and other banks for financing and they'd GRANT it.  He said they must really think there's a lot to come to this area for them to keep letting builders build like they do.

- Last night on KNWA I saw 2-3 DEVELOPERS (not contractors like Hanke Brothers, but developers like Terminella & Associates) running spots in the 10:00 PM news.

Fascinating.

Thanks for the link KJW! That's very interesting news. I drove to Vaughn once a week over the last several months and every time I was amazed at the developments. There are a few large "mixed-use" projects going up out there and very nice subdivisions. The growth there actually spreads north to Centerton where there's an equal number of similar developments. What they consider West Bentonville is definitely a hot spot.

[Mith242]

I guess I need to take a look just to see the way things are now before they change any more.  But I'm not familiar with that area so I guess it won't stand out as much to me since I don't know what it was like a few years ago.

[masons_dad1]

Mith242, on Feb 26 2006, 05:46 PM, said:

I guess I need to take a look just to see the way things are now before they change any more.  But I'm not familiar with that area so I guess it won't stand out as much to me since I don't know what it was like a few years ago.

You probably wouldn't be blown away by what you see out there being used to Fayetteville and all. But, seeing what was once just rural farmland being developed to such a degree is pretty amazing. I admit it's been several months since I drove out past Centerton on 102... it's probably a lot different from the last time I saw the developments under way out there.

[johnnydr87]

NW arkansas is a happening place.

[itk]

Hwy 12 between Rainbow Curve (71B/Walton Blvd in Bentonville) and Greenhouse Rd is developing like crazy-- blew me away last time I was up there.  However, from Greenhouse to XNA, not much has happened in the past few years, except for that hotel north of XNA.  About 2-3 years ago they built an office building between the Wal-Mart distribution center and XNA and it's STILL empty (looks like they got ahead of themselves there).

I keep hearing people in NWA saying Hwy 12 is going to develop near the airport... but that talk has been going on since 1998 (when XNA opened) and still hardly has happened around there.  I think someone in the XNA thread mentioned that developement normally associated with airports hasn't happened yet because developers might be waiting for the access road.  I would think that businesses like hotels, rental car businesses, etc., would be natural on the south end of XNA (where the access road would come in), rather than the north end.

At least Bentonville is, IMO, from what I see and hear from them managing their growth rather well.  I am very impressed of what Troy Galloway and Mike Churchwell and staff are doing up there.  Even though it is weird to see these three story upscale apartments in Vaughn, in seemingly the middle of nowhere, once things develop that way it will be done smartly (i.e. sprawl without too much of the sprawl look and feel).