83 replies to this topic

[skirby]

Work continues on Porter's Jazz Cafe. As you can see the plywood has been taken off most of the windows. I can't remember when the last time it was that these windows were exposed.

[Architect]

skirby, on 01 June 2011 - 08:21 AM, said:

Work continues on Porter's Jazz Cafe. As you can see the plywood has been taken off most of the windows. I can't remember when the last time it was that these windows were exposed.

What a nice looking building...it has great lines.  I'm glad to see it being rehabilitated.

[ryanaw]

Has anyone has anyone heard of any rumors of a new skycraper coming to Downtown Little Rock? Someone told me construction in 3rd Street will be a high rise of 25 stories or more. Not sure if I can believe that because of the limited amount of space and plus it's close to a school.

[SangreRaVen]

I have not heard of anything new really like that in that area, I kind of find that hard to believe seeing as several of the towers have a lot of empty spaces and in general 25 stories seems to be a bit higher than what they seem to be going with lately. Now if they want to build a new one and can fill it up and make it useful I have nothing against improving Little Rock's skyline

-R

[Architect]

ryanaw, on 09 June 2011 - 06:20 AM, said:

Has anyone has anyone heard of any rumors of a new skycraper coming to Downtown Little Rock? Someone told me construction in 3rd Street will be a high rise of 25 stories or more. Not sure if I can believe that because of the limited amount of space and plus it's close to a school.

Interesting.  It seems doubtful, though I have heard - from multiple sources working on the project - of a new mixed-use building downtown.  I didn't take it that it was THAT tall, but I didn't really press the issue either.

[LIT uPP]

ryanaw, on 09 June 2011 - 06:20 AM, said:

Has anyone has anyone heard of any rumors of a new skycraper coming to Downtown Little Rock? Someone told me construction in 3rd Street will be a high rise of 25 stories or more. Not sure if I can believe that because of the limited amount of space and plus it's close to a school.

What a coincidence that you would ask this, now.  I was just about to remark about the vacant former KARK lot.  The last of the old building was removed three months ago and still no surface parking lot, as the new owners had stated were the short-term plans.  If those truly were the plans, that blacktop would have taken less than a week to pour, and we would today be looking at Alley/Hatcher’s new parking lot.  Instead, the space is still fenced and unfinished.  Also interesting to note is the fact that the space across Center Street which was also a site of a tear-down, had some crews working there, last week.  It appeared that they were tearing up the surface concrete.  That site is also fenced.

Soon after the KARK demolition was announced, one of the local business publications had an interview with Sam Alley (one of the partners) or his brother.  While I can’t remember the exact wording of his statement, he said something akin to: “Will Little Rock ever have another 40 story building?  I don’t think so.  Will it ever have another 25 story building?  It’s possible that someday, someone will build one – maybe even us.”

It would seem a little awkward to construct a tower right in front of the Tower Building, but I guess they could build something on the eastern side of that block and not obstruct the view of the Tower Building tenants.  In any event, the fact that they haven’t yet installed the new surface parking lot leads me to speculate that they are readying something bigger.

[ryanaw]

I would love to see an addition to the skyline. Hopefully the rumor I heard is actually a fact. I know 25 stories doesn't seem like much, but looking at Little Rock's size and at the 300 3rd and River Market towers, they added something to the skyline. We have a low level skyline, but it looks nicer than most cities its size.

[skirby]

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a #150,000 grant to the city  in order to develop a corridor for the arts on Main Street. The money will be used to promote an artist community in four vacant building across from the REP.  This "creative corridor" on Main will center on the visual and performing arts.

In a city news release it states: "This phase of the Creative Corridor project will focus on the design of a segment of the Corridor. On the south end, and across the street from the Repertory Theater (which is undergoing a $6 million dollar renovation), four buildings will be renovated for mixed use to cluster local performing arts non-profit organizations such as the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Arkansas, and other dance organizations, along with theater education class space and visual artist studios attached to a gallery showcasing museum school artists from the nearby Arkansas Arts Center."

[skirby]

skirby, on 13 July 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a #150,000 grant to the city  in order to develop a corridor for the arts on Main Street. The money will be used to promote an artist community in four vacant building across from the REP.  This "creative corridor" on Main will center on the visual and performing arts.

In a city news release it states: "This phase of the Creative Corridor project will focus on the design of a segment of the Corridor. On the south end, and across the street from the Repertory Theater (which is undergoing a $6 million dollar renovation), four buildings will be renovated for mixed use to cluster local performing arts non-profit organizations such as the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Arkansas, and other dance organizations, along with theater education class space and visual artist studios attached to a gallery showcasing museum school artists from the nearby Arkansas Arts Center."

Update to the above post.

Reed Realty Advisors is backing this plan. This company is behind the development of Porter's Jazz Cafe and the apartments above it. Reed wants to buy the four building on the west side of the 500 block of Main and redevelop them. The plans include 124 apartments in the Arkansas Building and annex at a price that artists can afford. The company says That within a years time it can turn the ground floor of the Arkansas Building into studio and exhibit space for the visual and performing arts.

I think much of this depends on if Reed can purchase the buildings from Tower Investments. Tower Investments has these properties listed for sale because their Lafayette Square plans did not work out.

This is the best news for Main Street development to come out in a long time.

[Architect]

skirby, on 20 July 2011 - 09:02 AM, said:

Update to the above post.

Reed Realty Advisors is backing this plan. This company is behind the development of Porter's Jazz Cafe and the apartments above it. Reed wants to buy the four building on the west side of the 500 block of Main and redevelop them. The plans include 124 apartments in the Arkansas Building and annex at a price that artists can afford. The company says That within a years time it can turn the ground floor of the Arkansas Building into studio and exhibit space for the visual and performing arts.

I think much of this depends on if Reed can purchase the buildings from Tower Investments. Tower Investments has these properties listed for sale because their Lafayette Square plans did not work out.

This is the best news for Main Street development to come out in a long time.

If Tower Investments couldn't make it work out, then.....

[skirby]

Architect, on 20 July 2011 - 09:12 AM, said:

If Tower Investments couldn't make it work out, then.....

As you remember Tower Investments plan was to develop condos, which included demolishing the backside of the Arkansas building and building a parking deck. The new plans center on apartments and with the market the way it is the cost to Reed might be less than what Tower paid for the buildings.

[thewizard16]

skirby, on 20 July 2011 - 09:02 AM, said:

Update to the above post.

Reed Realty Advisors is backing this plan. This company is behind the development of Porter's Jazz Cafe and the apartments above it. Reed wants to buy the four building on the west side of the 500 block of Main and redevelop them. The plans include 124 apartments in the Arkansas Building and annex at a price that artists can afford. The company says That within a years time it can turn the ground floor of the Arkansas Building into studio and exhibit space for the visual and performing arts.

I think much of this depends on if Reed can purchase the buildings from Tower Investments. Tower Investments has these properties listed for sale because their Lafayette Square plans did not work out.

This is the best news for Main Street development to come out in a long time.

That is good news. I'm really looking forward to the Jazz cafe and apartments being completed. I can't help but wonder if seeing a building like that revitalized and active in that stretch of Main won't help spark more interest from developers. To hear they're looking at getting involved in more apartment projects in that area is very good news. Main St. isn't really ready to draw in the higher end condo crowd, as we've already seen, but with the high apartment occupancy rate in downtown, I think apartment projects will help the area look more active in addition to increasing the downtown population. I hope they succeed in their plans.

skirby, on 20 July 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

As you remember Tower Investments plan was to develop condos, which included demolishing the backside of the Arkansas building and building a parking deck. The new plans center on apartments and with the market the way it is the cost to Reed might be less than what Tower paid for the buildings.

I think this is the real key difference here- Tower's plan was very ambitious and required money and market conditions they didn't have when the time to continue moving forward came. Reed's plan is still ambitious in a sense, but should involve a lot less money and is aimed at a market that is expected to continue to be strong. It's less money and I think it's less of a gamble, which should make it easier to succeed with their plan. If the Reed plans do well, then maybe more ambitious projects will be more realistic/attainable for that area.

[skirby]

Porter's Jazz Cafe is now open.

[thewizard16]

There was an article on the Democrat Gazette today about the impending completion of the remodel of the Arkansas Repertory Theater downtown- it sounds like they're finishing up the last phase of the $6 million project. In this last $1 million segment of work they have made significant upgrades to the theater space, have upgraded the entrance and lobby area, renovated the bathrooms, remodeled and reopened a bar in the space that used to be Club Mezz, and updated the concession stand and box office.

The article is here: http://www.arkansaso...0110911/?latest

[skirby]

Two items showing up for Main Street. The city is trying to convince Pulaski Tech to build their new culinary school at 6th and Main instead of locating it out on I-30. The second is Moses Tucker's planned 100,000 square foot mixed use development. This project would be the redevelopment of the Gus Blass building at 4th and Main. The office space for the project has already been leased and MT will also include 12 retail/restaurant spaces as well as 44 rental housing units and a 250 space parking deck in the project. The only thing holding  up the project at this time is financing.

This building is across the street from the K Lofts, which includes Porter's Jazz Cafe as well as 30 planned apartments.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Given Moses Tucker's track record, my hopes are moderately high for a good result from this Main Street project.  This would be a "Plan B" of sorts after The Arcade didn't materialize in its intended location, yes?

[skirby]

ArkansasTraveler, on 13 December 2011 - 12:10 PM, said:

Given Moses Tucker's track record, my hopes are moderately high for a good result from this Main Street project.  This would be a "Plan B" of sorts after The Arcade didn't materialize in its intended location, yes?

The Arcade is a project still waiting to be built. It includes an auditorium/theater that will be a part of the Central Arkansas Library System. CALS will be holding a tax vote in a few months and if it is successful then money will be available for this project, as well as a parking deck which can be converted in the future for use by the Arkansas Studies Institute.

The big push for Main Street right now is the effort to get Pulaski Tech to move the construction of it's  culinary school  from southwest LR to Main Street. At this time no one has come up with a plan to provide the additional funding the move would require.

[skirby]

Pulaski Tech's board voted today to build its new culinary institute building on its I-30 campus instead of downtown. One of the main concerns was the increased cost for security for the downtown location.

[thewizard16]

This is very exciting since this is one of my favorite buildings in downtown Little Rock and it is a significant location on Main Street that will almost definitely help encourage more redevelopment near it. This is one less empty lot and one less empty building on Main Street, and in a pivotal location that I think will help encourage infill between it and the River Market as well as it and The Rep.

Article: http://www.arkansasb...02.54928.142647

Highlights:

Quote

...historic Blass Building in downtown Little Rock will begin in June to convert the former retail property into 100,000 SF of office space, 20 loft-style apartments and more.

Quote

A 300-car parking garage will be built at the northeast corner of Fourth and Louisiana streets as part of the project.

More details from the Dem Gazette:
http://www.arkansaso...in-street-plan/

Quote

$20 million plan ... roughly 100,000 square feet of office space. Around 65,000 square feet has already been leased to the state of Arkansas

Retail space on ground floor preserved/rejuvenated:

And the full building (and annex) plan in pdf format: http://media.arkansa...ass_Packet2.pdf
Looks great to me.

Now if only the developer behind the K-Lofts can get their ducks in a row and get his project (s) moving along again...

Edited by thewizard16, 07 March 2012 - 03:44 PM.

[skirby]

I agree that this in one of the better buildings in downtown.  The Arkansas Times post on this has something very interesting. The main tenent will be Arkansas Child Support Enforcement division which is now located in the old Arkla building, which is owned by MT. The post says that MT should release development plans for the Arkla building within the next six to eight months and therefore will not be looking for new tenents for the building.