Your NWA Wishlist

[TRB]

Oh, and I got hate from two gals on the Facebook disscussion page of the drive in

I was under the impression that was once a second screen that got abandoned. It's not, apparently they once jumped the gun a bit on adding a second screen back in the day, the city stopped them and demanded they add side walks along the length of 112 and build a bridge to connect it to the side walk at the autoplex. That stopped it cold . It was built with the goal of two screens and I guess they thought they had prior approval. When did it move from Fiesta Square, I get the feeling current ownership is a bit contrary. They made a point to tell folks that they were forced to buy a digital projection system recently for 100K, seeming not wiiling to borrow to build the sidewalk for expansion. Supposedly it's not a huge moneymaker, that could be poor mouthing or the complete truth, I'm not their accountant. There's this for the love of movies vibe they want to give and it appears to be a truthful one. But soon, and without  improvements to the existing facility, with Van Ashe and then 112 widening, that area booms and the availible land gets bought up and someone will dangle a big carrot that horse can't turn down, love for the movies be damned. I think it's a potential goldmine especially considering how efficient water parks are these days. Theme parks see then as cash cows. I've seen dry rides removed for just a water park and the this area's growth sez there's a need with growth to continue. I'd love e to see a site plan by a real firm like Whitewater for that plot of land.

 

[RemusCal]

Great news.  TopGolf looking at NWA to expand.  This is very needed from a recreational standpoint.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/topgolf-targeting-more-markets-for-expansion-300237063.html

 

[comreguy]

18 hours ago, RemusCal said:

Great news.  TopGolf looking at NWA to expand.  This is very needed from a recreational standpoint.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/topgolf-targeting-more-markets-for-expansion-300237063.html

 

Great find, this is excellent news

 

[OzarkSingleSpeed]

Wondering where TopGolf would best fit in Northwest Arkansas ...

 

I could see TopGolf fitting in well in north Fayetteville around the Malco Theater and new JJ's Brewery and being in close proximity to Locomotion and the new Climb Fayetteville indoor climbing

facility  - OR - in Lowell near Fast Lanes and the High Rise trampoline park.

[bubba72704]

My vote would be for putting it in Pinnacle.  Somewhere close to the Amp.  

[RemusCal]

I keep thinking I could see it centrally located near Springdale near Arvest Ballpark.  They could create an entertainment complex around the ballpark. 

Arvest Ballpark

Top Golf

Dave & Busters

Bass ProShop

Outlet Mall

Something like that could create a destination that includes entertainment/shopping/dining for the area.

[comreguy]

30 minutes ago, RemusCal said:

I keep thinking I could see it centrally located near Springdale near Arvest Ballpark.  They could create an entertainment complex around the ballpark. 

Arvest Ballpark

Top Golf

Dave & Busters

Bass ProShop

Outlet Mall

Something like that could create a destination that includes entertainment/shopping/dining for the area.

They want to be nearer to high income corporate jobs, men. Pleasant Grove would make most sense with proximity to Walmart, JB Hunt and Pinnacle vendors. 

[OzarkSingleSpeed]

I've only been to TopGolf once (Chicago) but it seemed fairly family oriented, not just catering to golfers ... less of a driving range feel and more of a wholistic entertainment experience / venue.

[wmr]

I see TopGolf working best in Benton County.  Fayetteville would not be their primary market.  

[comreguy]

5 minutes ago, wmr said:

I see TopGolf working best in Benton County.  Fayetteville would not be their primary market.  

Bingo 

2 hours ago, OzarkSingleSpeed said:

I've only been to TopGolf once (Chicago) but it seemed fairly family oriented, not just catering to golfers ... less of a driving range feel and more of a wholistic entertainment experience / venue.

True, but they need the memberships too which leads them to denser retail and daytime pop areas 

[TRB]

Not NWA but close

http://www.snowflex.com/news/combs-family-ventures-missouri-adds-snowflex-its-summer-attractions-branson/

 

Hope they come thru on Phase 2 as that's the good stuff.

 

 

[Architect]

On 5/26/2014 at 7:29 PM, TRB said:

I got a feeling that Jackson got axed from service with Southwest going into Memphis, that put it between Mem and NO.

 

I'll be more interested in how it affects Little Rock.

 

Memphis has been picking up flights in the last month as their Origination and Destination numbers continue to grow since Delta rehubbed it. I don't see Memphis ever becoming a full fledged hub but I can certainly see it as a micro hub for an outfit like Frontier with it's over capacity of gates. Memphis now has plans to rework the main concourse , taking out a few gates and mothballing the other two till needed. Something like that with a low cost  carrier that frees up gate flexibility may get NWA connected. Tulsa all but kills Southwest for us in any meaningful way. I think they are now concentrating on going international now.

I

I realize I'm commenting on an old post from TRB, but since this was recently discussed in the Little Rock forum, I'd like to point out that JAN (Jackson) is a MUCH smaller airport (traffic) than Little Rock - basically half as many people fly in and out of JAN as LIT on a daily basis.  In fact, XNA serves more people than JAN.  So the reason JAN lost SWA was primarily due to the fact that it just isn't a large market.

On 5/28/2014 at 8:28 AM, KJW said:

 

Kind of surprising that NWA and FSM aren't in extended metro areas yet like Little Rock and Pine Bluff are.  If and when the I-49 bridge over the Arkansas River is built, I think they soon would be...like LR/PB, they share everything else (i.e. the same television designated market area, high school conferences, etc.)

Little Rock and Pine Bluff are NOT in the same MSA (metro)...they are however in the same Combined Statistical Area (CSA).  Ft. Smith could conceivably be merged into the same CSA as NWA, but even that is a bit of a stretch...there's just too much distance between the two.  Pine Bluff is much closer to Little Rock than Ft. Smith is to NWA...Jefferson County is adjacent to Pulaski County.

[TRB]

Jackson was at the same time Southwest ramped up additional service in Memphis above and beyond what they inherited from AirTran. Add in Southwest's recent expansion in Memphis  Thwy also expanded New Orleans plus service in Birmingham, but Memphis was the final nail i. Jackson's coffin. LIT also saw a reduction in service. Especially go back and review what happen when Southwest added DAL from MEM. Southwest eventually got more gates at Love so that changed a bit but I still think the frequency is less.

I have no doubt that Frontier's new nonstop from Memphis (at fares as low as 50 bucks one way) will influence the success and longevity of the LAS flight from LIT via Southwest. 

Now, what you may see with Southwest's new IT system put in place this week is more less than daily flying especially on routes that scream Leasure. I could see Southwest taking that daily flight LIT/LAS flight and splitting it 4/3 between MEM and LIT. It may head off Frontier from going 4x weekly to daily at MEM. The obvious hole in Frontier's service is no Sunday flight scheduled at the moment. The new system may allow for a couple more less than daily destinations at both airports. A win for all.

[wmr]

23 hours ago, Architect said:

I realize I'm commenting on an old post from TRB, but since this was recently discussed in the Little Rock forum, I'd like to point out that JAN (Jackson) is a MUCH smaller airport (traffic) than Little Rock - basically half as many people fly in and out of JAN as LIT on a daily basis.  In fact, XNA serves more people than JAN.  So the reason JAN lost SWA was primarily due to the fact that it just isn't a large market.

Little Rock and Pine Bluff are NOT in the same MSA (metro)...they are however in the same Combined Statistical Area (CSA).  Ft. Smith could conceivably be merged into the same CSA as NWA, but even that is a bit of a stretch...there's just too much distance between the two.  Pine Bluff is much closer to Little Rock than Ft. Smith is to NWA...Jefferson County is adjacent to Pulaski County.

The Fort Smith/NWA CSA makes some sense to me, although I'm somewhat fuzzy on the CSA definition.  While the cores of the two metros are far apart, the metros are adjacent county-wise.  The TV markets are shared, and there is overlap in the radio stations starting to happen lately.  I don't believe many people commute in either direction.  People who work in NWA like to live in NWA.  Fort Smith isn't a big enough of a job center to pull folks south in large numbers.  

 

I would bet there are significant shopping dollars from the FSM metro that are spent in the NWA metro, as opposed to 10 years ago.  Rogers has lots of retailers that Fort Smith doesn't have, and it's the closest option.

Edited May 13, 2017 by wmr

[Architect]

On 5/12/2017 at 2:36 PM, TRB said:

Jackson was at the same time Southwest ramped up additional service in Memphis above and beyond what they inherited from AirTran. Add in Southwest's recent expansion in Memphis  Thwy also expanded New Orleans plus service in Birmingham, but Memphis was the final nail i. Jackson's coffin. LIT also saw a reduction in service. Especially go back and review what happen when Southwest added DAL from MEM. Southwest eventually got more gates at Love so that changed a bit but I still think the frequency is less.

I have no doubt that Frontier's new nonstop from Memphis (at fares as low as 50 bucks one way) will influence the success and longevity of the LAS flight from LIT via Southwest. 

Now, what you may see with Southwest's new IT system put in place this week is more less than daily flying especially on routes that scream Leasure. I could see Southwest taking that daily flight LIT/LAS flight and splitting it 4/3 between MEM and LIT. It may head off Frontier from going 4x weekly to daily at MEM. The obvious hole in Frontier's service is no Sunday flight scheduled at the moment. The new system may allow for a couple more less than daily destinations at both airports. A win for all.

All good points, but what has (or may) influence SWA service to LIT is much more significantly tied to the sunset of the Wright Amendment (original federal limitations placed on service to/from Dallas Love Field) than service at MEM; this has also significantly affected SWA service to Tulsa, OKC, etc.

Let's be honest, there aren't any major population centers between Memphis and Little Rock at play, regardless of what airport they choose. It's certainly impacted LIT, but likely tied more so to patrons in Memphis itself who used to come to Little Rock for lower fares on SWA.  That being said, specific numbers estimated by an outside consultant hired by the Little Rock Airport Commission said that the transition of MEM from a hub airport to a regional O&D airport likely cost LIT 100,000 passengers a year.

[ecity3138]

Whatever happened to the proposed Top Golf location planned in Northwest Arkansas? Is that planned abandoned?

[comreguy]

4 hours ago, ecity3138 said:

Whatever happened to the proposed Top Golf location planned in Northwest Arkansas? Is that planned abandoned?

Plan has not been abandoned 

[ecity3138]

On 6/27/2017 at 1:48 PM, comreguy said:

Plan has not been abandoned 

Are they any updates at this time? I think it will a great addition for Northwest Arkansas area.

[TRB]

On 5/13/2017 at 6:14 PM, Architect said:

All good points, but what has (or may) influence SWA service to LIT is much more significantly tied to the sunset of the Wright Amendment (original federal limitations placed on service to/from Dallas Love Field) than service at MEM; this has also significantly affected SWA service to Tulsa, OKC, etc.

Let's be honest, there aren't any major population centers between Memphis and Little Rock at play, regardless of what airport they choose. It's certainly impacted LIT, but likely tied more so to patrons in Memphis itself who used to come to Little Rock for lower fares on SWA.  That being said, specific numbers estimated by an outside consultant hired by the Little Rock Airport Commission said that the transition of MEM from a hub airport to a regional O&D airport likely cost LIT 100,000 passengers a year.

It looks like Southwest is ending the Phoenix nonstop come Feb after a draw down in Jan. Nothing additional was added to compensate for the reduction. I could argue that this is a result of the Frontier direct from Memphis to LAS, as Southwest pushes west coast connecting traffic from PHX to cover the loads on the LAS flight.

I flew two 100% booked  flights from MEM to BWI and back this month. I was interested in the numbers so I hit up the MEM Stat page and Southwest flew 10,000 more passengers from Memphis this May with 11 scheduled daily flights over last May with 9 scheduled dailies.

Will be interesting to see June's numbers. 

 

I'm at a loss that Allegiant hasn't added destinations from XNA, especially the Destin seasonal like Springfield Mo. has gained. Is XNA just not adding till the parking deck is finished? They are letting way too much leasure travel bleed as this area continues to boom.

Edited June 29, 2017 by TRB

[Architect]

11 hours ago, TRB said:

It looks like Southwest is ending the Phoenix nonstop come Feb after a draw down in Jan. Nothing additional was added to compensate for the reduction. I could argue that this is a result of the Frontier direct from Memphis to LAS, as Southwest pushes west coast connecting traffic from PHX to cover the loads on the LAS flight.

I flew two 100% booked  flights from MEM to BWI and back this month. I was interested in the numbers so I hit up the MEM Stat page and Southwest flew 10,000 more passengers from Memphis this May with 11 scheduled daily flights over last May with 9 scheduled dailies.

Will be interesting to see June's numbers. 

 

I'm at a loss that Allegiant hasn't added destinations from XNA, especially the Destin seasonal like Springfield Mo. has gained. Is XNA just not adding till the parking deck is finished? They are letting way too much leasure travel bleed as this area continues to boom.

Are you referring to discontinuation of the Southwest flight to PHX from LIT or from MEM?

[TRB]

7 hours ago, Architect said:

Are you referring to discontinuation of the Southwest flight to PHX from LIT or from MEM?

LIT/PHX

Southwest has yet to add a direct from MEM farther west than Texas. It's only a matter of time, IMO.  Given the success Frontier has had with MEM/DEN, I'm shocked Southwest hasn't put an end to that.

[wmr]

On 6/29/2017 at 9:44 AM, ecity3138 said:

Are they any updates at this time? I think it will a great addition for Northwest Arkansas area.

I have no information, but I'm going to guess either SW of I-49 and Pleasant Grove Road, or near Arvest Ballpark, if they come.  

[strmchsr77]

Just came across one of my "Wish List" items for Fayetteville/NW Arkansas.  Malco Razorback 16 Theater is appears to be sneaking in an IMAX theater with the current renovations.  The IMAX is supposed to be completed for the new Star Wars movie this December.  They are also updating the theater with luxury recliners, and a bar and grill area.  Recently the AMC Fiesta Square 16 Theater renovated with new seating and a bar.  

Still waiting on the independent theater on Dickson to get moving...

Here is a  link to the article about the new IMAX from Malco's Facebook:  IMAX

Edited September 12, 2017 by strmchsr77
Changing link

[TRB]

After finding out this an IMAC 'lite':

The real solution to this "not real" Imax is to save the facade and marquee of the UARK Theatre on Dickson and from there raze the the existing stucture, excavate and build a true Imax experience, the roof could be used for roof top patio movies. It should be part of the WAC mission and managed by them to be used to host school kids for the 'educational' Imax features and first run features at night.
It would not be unlike many set ups found at various museums like the Pink Palace in Memphis or the Smithsonians in DC.

Malco needs to bring it's FEC/Bowling concept to Fayetteville for the area between it and Academy.

Fayetteville then needs to revisit the Coody ideal of a hotel/retail around a parking deck with a sky bridge to the WAC idea for the waste of space surface lot.

Now, I thought the City Hospital purchase could incorporate a new home for the 'in storage' University Museum Collection with space for traveling exhibits via a Smithsonian partnership along with their need for lecture space and such.

Edited September 14, 2017 by TRB

[strmchsr77]

20 hours ago, TRB said:

After finding out this an IMAC 'lite':

The real solution to this "not real" Imax is to save the facade and marquee of the UARK Theatre on Dickson and from there raze the the existing stucture, excavate and build a true Imax experience, the roof could be used for roof top patio movies. It should be part of the WAC mission and managed by them to be used to host school kids for the 'educational' Imax features and first run features at night.
It would not be unlike many set ups found at various museums like the Pink Palace in Memphis or the Smithsonians in DC.

Malco needs to bring it's FEC/Bowling concept to Fayetteville for the area between it and Academy.

Fayetteville then needs to revisit the Coody ideal of a hotel/retail around a parking deck with a sky bridge to the WAC idea for the waste of space surface lot.

Now, I thought the City Hospital purchase could incorporate a new home for the 'in storage' University Museum Collection with space for traveling exhibits via a Smithsonian partnership along with their need for lecture space and such.

Certainly not a true IMAX but I am still glad to have it.  I love the idea of the UARK Theater but parking is always a hassle down there so not sure if that will work.  I have not been to one of Malco's bowling lanes but I would like to see that here as well.