18 replies to this topic

[mcheiss]

Looks like the Ft. Smith/Van Buren area is about to get a whole bunch of restaurants in the coming months.

Starbucks Coffee is planning on opening a lcoation in Van Buren on Fayetteville Rd. by November. This will make the second Starbucks in the River Valley.

Chili's is planning on opening in Van Buren near the Starbucks on October 19th. This will make Chili's #2 for the River Valley.

Firehouse Subs is planning a location for Van Buren near the two previous restaurants as well.

^ All of these are near the recently opened Popeye's in Van Buren.

[Aporkalypse]

Weird, when I think "River Valley" I think Russelville and Morrilton.  

I'm not sure what to call the Ft Smith area.

[schwilj]

Aporkalypse, on Aug 12 2006, 01:00 AM, said:

Weird, when I think "River Valley" I think Russelville and Morrilton.  

I'm not sure what to call the Ft Smith area.

Yeah me too... I went to ATU and I thought the Russellville area was the "river valley"
Nut then again, not much restaurant-wise going on in Russellville

[Mith242]

I see those areas as the River Valley as well.  But up here in NWA when someone mentions the River Valley it usually refers to the Van Buren/Ft Smith area.  We've occasionally gotten a few Ft Smith people to post a few times but none seem to stick around.  I still would like to see some other areas of Arkansas manage to get something going on here.

[Aporkalypse]

Mith242, on Aug 12 2006, 01:01 PM, said:

I see those areas as the River Valley as well.  But up here in NWA when someone mentions the River Valley it usually refers to the Van Buren/Ft Smith area.  We've occasionally gotten a few Ft Smith people to post a few times but none seem to stick around.  I still would like to see some other areas of Arkansas manage to get something going on here.

As a geographic region the Arkansas River Valley is basically everything along the AR River west of Little Rock to the OK border, which includes all of those cities.

People in the Morrilton/Russellville, Dardanelle specifically refer to themselves as being from the "River Valley" and they mean basically those counties - Pope Co, Conway Co, etc.

When I was a kid Ft Smith used to be Western Arkansas, though you don't hear that much now.

I agree, I would like more input from Ft Smith people.

[Russ-Vegas]

Well speaking of the "River Valley" and Starbucks and all...Russellville IS getting a Starbucks and Popeyes Chicken restaurant soon...we just opened Hobby Lobby, Wal-Greens, Harps, and ive heard of a possible Belks...Russellville is getting alot of new places opening everywhere..and you should see the ATU development..wow  

[bigboyz05]

That's cool about the development taking place in the Ft. Smith/Van Buren area. When I passed through there on my spring break trip, on I-540 it was very congested! It was a lot bigger than I had envisioned it. Does anyone know what direction Fort Smith and Van Buren are growing toward.

Russ-Vegas, on Aug 15 2006, 01:18 AM, said:

Well speaking of the "River Valley" and Starbucks and all...Russellville IS getting a Starbucks and Popeyes Chicken restaurant soon...we just opened Hobby Lobby, Wal-Greens, Harps, and ive heard of a possible Belks...Russellville is getting alot of new places opening everywhere..and you should see the ATU development..wow  

That's really cool about the growth in Russellville. I'd like to know more about the growth and info on your community.

[mcheiss]

Russ-Vegas, on Aug 15 2006, 01:18 AM, said:

Well speaking of the "River Valley" and Starbucks and all...Russellville IS getting a Starbucks and Popeyes Chicken restaurant soon...we just opened Hobby Lobby, Wal-Greens, Harps, and ive heard of a possible Belks...Russellville is getting alot of new places opening everywhere..and you should see the ATU development..wow  

I haden't heard about the Starbucks. Makes since though for a city it's size. It'll probably be going up near I-40.

[Mith242]

Russ-Vegas, on Aug 15 2006, 01:18 AM, said:

Well speaking of the "River Valley" and Starbucks and all...Russellville IS getting a Starbucks and Popeyes Chicken restaurant soon...we just opened Hobby Lobby, Wal-Greens, Harps, and ive heard of a possible Belks...Russellville is getting alot of new places opening everywhere..and you should see the ATU development..wow  

That's good to see Russellville getting some new places like that.  To be honest on some of those you're not too far behind NWA getting them.

bigboyz05, on Aug 15 2006, 01:32 AM, said:

That's cool about the development taking place in the Ft. Smith/Van Buren area. When I passed through there on my spring break trip, on I-540 it was very congested! It was a lot bigger than I had envisioned it. Does anyone know what direction Fort Smith and Van Buren are growing toward.

I'm not sure, I think Ft Smith is growing to the south though.  I think the city got a lot of that Ft Chaffee land and is now developing it.  I'd guess Van Buren would still be concentrating around the I-40 area.

Edited by Mith242, 15 August 2006 - 02:28 PM.

[Aporkalypse]

Mith242, on Aug 15 2006, 05:12 AM, said:

That's good to see Russellville getting some new places like that.  To be honest on some of those you're not too far behind NWA getting them.

It is kind of surprising, considering how small the Russellville market is.  That said, it's a nice area with higher incomes than most of rural Arkansas and ATU probably played a big role in this.  I bet it goes in pretty close to ATU.

[djcobb]

Mith242, on Aug 15 2006, 05:12 AM, said:

That's good to see Russellville getting some new places like that.  To be honest on some of those you're not too far behind NWA getting them.
I'm not sure, I think Ft Smith is growing to the south though.  I think the city got a lot of that Ft Chaffee land and is now developing it.  I'd guess Van Buren would still be concentrating around the I-40 area.

You are correct about the direction of growth for both cities.  Van Buren is the fastest growing city in Crawford County and estimates show it near 20,000.  Most recent growth is along Hwy 59 as well as the Lee Creek area towards Dora along I-40.  On Hwy 59 there has been a new Lowe's, Popeyes, and Chili's, other parts of the city have been a bit stagnant.  
In Fort Smith, growth is limited to the South Side since the city is land locked with the river surrounding the north, Oklahoma to the west and Barling to the East.  Eventually Greenwood (which is the fastest growing city in Sebastian County, pop 7,500) and Fort Smith will meet (probably not in my life time) but once the new I-49 section being built east of the city is open , I imagine a lot more growth in the Chaffee/Barling area will take place.  As it stand now, future growth and development is occuring along I-540 with a new Wal-Mart SuperCenter on Kelley Hwy and I-540 and the proposed River Valley Auto Park at Hwy71 South and I-540.  Last time I was in Ft Smith there was a lot of construction on Phoenix Avenue East and new subdivisions along Hwy 271 So. near the former Beverly Enterprise office building and in the Rye Hill area.

[mcheiss]

I haven't heard anything about the River Valley Auto Park. Is it something Landers is building?

[djcobb]

mcheiss, on Sep 25 2006, 11:24 PM, said:

I haven't heard anything about the River Valley Auto Park. Is it something Landers is building?

From what I understand it will be a combination of Bill White and Smith Chevrolet.  Bill White will keep their current location on Hwy 71 So and expand to the new location along I-540.  Smith Chevrolet will be closing their current location on Zero/Towson.  Ground has already been broken and should be completed some time next year.
I forgot to mention that the new Target is going in at Phoenix and I-540 as well as the newly opened Academy Sports & Outdoors next to Home Depot (I'm hoping for one to be built in NWA soon).

[mcheiss]

Academy Sports would be a good tenant for a Pinnacle Project. Pleasant Crossing already has Sportsman's Warehouse, so I'd count out any other sporting good retailer for that project. Springdale could use something like this near the AA Minor League Stadium.

[bigboyz05]

Is the new I-49 east of Ft. Smith under construction now?

[schwilj]

Russ-Vegas, on Aug 15 2006, 01:18 AM, said:

Well speaking of the "River Valley" and Starbucks and all...Russellville IS getting a Starbucks and Popeyes Chicken restaurant soon...we just opened Hobby Lobby, Wal-Greens, Harps, and ive heard of a possible Belks...Russellville is getting alot of new places opening everywhere..and you should see the ATU development..wow  

I wonder how Higher Gorunds feels about Starbucks. Although to be honest, I don't like Higher Grounds that much since it moved out of it's downtown location.

Edited by shcwilj, 29 September 2006 - 11:29 PM.

[jtar83]

Any new restaurants that just opened up or are coming into the area? Figure with the popularity of the NWA thread this one could get going again

[bchris02]

jtar83, on Mar 14 2008, 01:52 PM, said:

Any new restaurants that just opened up or are coming into the area? Figure with the popularity of the NWA thread this one could get going again

A Captain D's opened in Van Buren but closed within 6 months.  Same with Scoops Ice Cream.  Ft. Smith will probably get some new restaurants with the new Target shopping center.  Buffalo Wild Wings and Ruth's Chris are two ones that are rumored.

[ShiggyRye]

Looks like Blazin' Burrito will be opening a location down on Garrison...