Jump to content

Little Rock Projects List


Recommended Posts

Lafayette Square:lsrendition.jpg

The Lafayette Building is the ten story brown building with the white on the top and street level. It has a great lobby of polished wood. The Arkansas Building is the red brick building with the green awning. This is not the original name. I think is was once the home of Blass Department Store(later bought out by Dillard's). The next building to the right is the Kahn Building. To the right of it is the M.M. Cohn building. It was the home of the M.M.Cohn Department Store. The building on the right is the Boyle Building.I think the Boyle is the best looking old building in Little Rock. It is located at the corner of 5th and Main. I always thought that it contained part of M.M. Cohn. It had a shoe store on ground level. Across Main Street is the failed Main Street Mall. A 1980's effort  costing $25 million that combined all the buildings on the block facing Main. There are a few offices in the building now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From what little I've seen all of these buildings seem pretty nice. I'm glad they're being saved and not simply torn down for some other project. When these building were first built what were they intended for, office space?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I saw somewhere that Arkansas's first 'skyscraper' was in Hot Springs not Little Rock.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What building was it? The Donaghey's taller than any building in Hot Springs I know of save maybe the Arlington and it's built into a hillside. The old Hot Springs VA isn't tall enough. I guess since we're talking about the 1920s the building could've burned or been demolished since then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Donaghey Building is still in use as an office building. On the next block South and across Main an office building and parking deck for state workers has been built.

State Urban Campus Development:

donaghey1.jpg

donaghey4.jpg

donaghey2.jpg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's an article that mentions the construction of the the parking deck and the new building, which it refers to as Donaghey Plaza South. What's interesting is that it says that two other buildings, Donaghey Plazas East and West, were renovated. What were those buildings before renovation? The cost of the project was $50 million.

Also, are you sure the Donaghey Building is still in use? I'm curious because I remember a few years ago that it was barely saved from destruction, and I have yet to hear of renovation work being done yet? The article won't be of help because it is a few years old, but at the time the building was unoccupied.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What building was it?  The Donaghey's taller than any building in Hot Springs I know of save maybe the Arlington and it's built into a hillside.  The old Hot Springs VA isn't tall enough.  I guess since we're talking about the 1920s the building could've burned or been demolished since then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, the first skyscraper was neither in Hot Springs, nor was it the Donaghey Building. It's the Pyramid Building, opened in 1907, on 2nd Street in Little Rock. I don't understand why the Donaghey is sometimes called the oldest skyscraper in Little Rock; even that article I linked in my last post claims that. Perhaps it is because some do not consider ten stories to make a skyscraper; the Donaghey Building is a few stories more than that. Anyway, I remembered reading an article in the Arkansas Business earlier this summer, which contained a piece on an effort to renovate the building. Thanks to google I was able to find it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the first skyscraper was neither in Hot Springs, nor was it the Donaghey Building. It's the Pyramid Building, opened in 1907, on 2nd Street in Little Rock. I don't understand why the Donaghey is sometimes called the oldest skyscraper in Little Rock; even that article I linked in my last post claims that. Perhaps it is because some do not consider ten stories to make a skyscraper; the Donaghey Building is a few stories more than that. Anyway, I remembered reading an article in the Arkansas Business earlier this summer, which contained a piece on an effort to renovate the building. Thanks to google I was able to find it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess all these claims refer to what people think of as 'skyscrapers'. I remembered where I heard about Hot Springs having the first one in Arkansas. There was a show on AETN talking about the history of Hot Springs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Residences at Building 5 has been announced as a new condo project for LR. The project calls for 12 condos for Building 5 which is located next to the Doubletree Hotel. Five floors will be added to the building. The price for condos will top out at close to $2 million. This project is across the river from the new ballpark. Also, developers are going before the Planning Commission with the $42 million Lighthouse Point project. The project will include 220 apartments and a 206-slip Marina at Lighthouse Point. The development will be East of the Clintion Library on the river.

residences_condos.jpg

Edited by skirby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Residences at Building 5 has been announced as a new condo project for LR. The project calls for 12 condos for Building 5 which is located next to the Doubletree Hotel. Five floors will be added to the building. The price for condos will top out at close to $2 million. This project is across the river from the new ballpark. Also, developers are going before the Planning Commission with the $42 million Lighthouse Point project. The project will include 220 apartments and a 206-slip Marina at Lighthouse Point. The development will be East of the Clintion Library on the river.

Sounds like interesting projects. I was curious is there much recreational boat traffic on the Arkansas River? I guess for some reason I thought there'd be more demand on the nearby lakes like Lake Maumelle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like interesting projects. I was curious is there much recreational boat traffic on the Arkansas River? I guess for some reason I thought there'd be more demand on the nearby lakes like Lake Maumelle.

Only sailboats are allowed on Lake Maumelle as it is a major reservoir and no development is allowed in its watershed.

There is some traffic in the River besides barges and the like, the problem is the locks and dams interfere with your ability to take a small boat far upstream or downstream. A lot of people fish in the wide areas of West Little Rock west of Murray Dam and there is a nice community in Riverdale called Canal Pointe of $500k plus condos and houses built on canals with river access next to the Acxiom, Winrock, and Alltel corporate HQs. Riverfest, July 4, etc the River is filled with boats watching the fireworks but you seldom see it like that. There have been plans for marinas on the downtown riverfront on both sides for some time to create more of a boating environment in the city proper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only sailboats are allowed on Lake Maumelle as it is a major reservoir and no development is allowed in its watershed.

There is some traffic in the River besides barges and the like, the problem is the locks and dams interfere with your ability to take a small boat far upstream or downstream. A lot of people fish in the wide areas of West Little Rock west of Murray Dam and there is a nice community in Riverdale called Canal Pointe of $500k plus condos and houses built on canals with river access next to the Acxiom, Winrock, and Alltel corporate HQs. Riverfest, July 4, etc the River is filled with boats watching the fireworks but you seldom see it like that. There have been plans for marinas on the downtown riverfront on both sides for some time to create more of a boating environment in the city proper.

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe it will help provide more recreation to that area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Residences at Building 5 has been announced as a new condo project for LR. The project calls for 12 condos for Building 5 which is located next to the Doubletree Hotel. Five floors will be added to the building. The price for condos will top out at close to $2 million. This project is across the river from the new ballpark. Also, developers are going before the Planning Commission with the $42 million Lighthouse Point project. The project will include 220 apartments and a 206-slip Marina at Lighthouse Point. The development will be East of the Clintion Library on the river.

residences_condos.jpg

I'm very glad to hear news of these new condos, especially since they're to be on the west side of Downtown. Most of the new residences downtown have been clustered around the River Market, and the Main Street area has the very important Lafayette Square project to build from, but there hasn't been anything like this so far west. It's interesting to note that the developer purchased the property before the decision was made on the ballpark, so it's likely that they would have been built anyway. It is in a great location, next to the Old State House and on the trolley line, but being able to look at that new ballpark will be very nice.

Regarding the Lighthouse Point project, doesn't the airport want some of that land?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm very glad to hear news of these new condos, especially since they're to be on the west side of Downtown. Most of the new residences downtown have been clustered around the River Market, and the Main Street area has the very important Lafayette Square project to build from, but there hasn't been anything like this so far west. It's interesting to note that the developer purchased the property before the decision was made on the ballpark, so it's likely that they would have been built anyway. It is in a great location, next to the Old State House and on the trolley line, but being able to look at that new ballpark will be very nice.

Regarding the Lighthouse Point project, doesn't the airport want some of that land?

The Planning Commission approved the project. The airport is looking at part of the land for future expansion for corporate and private general aviation uses. The area is at the NW corner of the airports expansion plans.

Mayor Hays of NRL responded to the Lighthouse Point project by saying that it will not stop plans for a 200 slip marina in NRL. He also stated that one or two major developments should be announced within the next few months for NRL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the rendition of the Light house point marina:

p76marina1.jpg

It's actually here, at http://downtownlittlerock.com/page.cfm?StoryID=6, a website that was made years ago by the Arkansas Times. I thought the project had been canned....i'm glad to see they're still looking into it.

Part of the text (refer to link above for full article):

Dock in the Rock

Lighthouse Point marina in works for shore east of library.

Finally - maybe. A marina on downtown Little Rock's riverfront.

It looks closer to reality than ever, thanks to efforts by the appropriately named Harbour Development Group, which owns nine acres of Arkansas River shoreline east of the Clinton Presidential Center site.

The acreage adjoins nearly four more acres owned by the city of Little Rock, which earlier this year issued requests for proposals for a marina-condo-retail development on its acreage. Harbour Development answered the call.

John Harbour said the development, called Lighthouse Point, will include a 206-slip marina, a restaurant, a 95-unit high-end condo development, and a retail area and should cost around $35 million to construct. Financing has not been arranged.

Once Harbour worked out details of access - to avoid a circuitous route through an industrial district - the marina project began to gather steam. A road wrapping around Heifer Project International's new headquarters and Global Village will return to either Second or Third Street and become a new "east-west corridor," past the marina, to Little Rock National Airport. (In the distant future, city planners hope to see one of the city's electrified trolleys offer a train commute to the airport along that corridor.) Harbour said the marina project will pick up the tab for building the road to his address "and give it to the city."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johnny, they first used that same drawing before the Clinton Library was confirmed or the Heifer Project was announced, probably 5 years or so ago. At the time I was single and childless and was thinking I might buy there. I thought they had scrapped it but I guess not. They also are supposed to have a major restaurant incorporated into the part with the lighthouse. I'm glad they're still planning on it, the Bella Torre project was too ambitious but I think this certainly will hit a unique niche and could really prove to be a profitable, class development.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johnny, they first used that same drawing before the Clinton Library was confirmed or the Heifer Project was announced, probably 5 years or so ago. At the time I was single and childless and was thinking I might buy there. I thought they had scrapped it but I guess not. They also are supposed to have a major restaurant incorporated into the part with the lighthouse. I'm glad they're still planning on it, the Bella Torre project was too ambitious but I think this certainly will hit a unique niche and could really prove to be a profitable, class development.

Yeah, I remember the Bella Torre project. I believe it was going to be an eighteen story condominium high-rise that cost something something around $54 million. Wasn't that going to be on the land where the new ballpark is going to be? If so, I'm glad North Little Rock is getting the new ballpark instead because it's such a unique piece of land. There are plenty of good locations downtown for condos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I remember the Bella Torre project. I believe it was going to be an eighteen story condominium high-rise that cost something something around $54 million. Wasn't that going to be on the land where the new ballpark is going to be? If so, I'm glad North Little Rock is getting the new ballpark instead because it's such a unique piece of land. There are plenty of good locations downtown for condos.

On the same land as the NLR ballpark?

Yeah, I'm definitely glad the ballpark got the land instead. things worked out for the better in the end!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New project announced last night for the ballpark/river area in NLR. This project will include twin nine story buildings for 72 condos, offices and retail space. Also, included in the plans is a 100-slip marina. The development company also has six months to come up with plans for the adjacent 7 acres which is across Broadway from the ballpark. This is a brownfield area but some funds($200,000) have already been a approved for the clean up. There is a link at FOX16 about this project.

Marinas North is the name of the project. Architects for the project are Wittenburg, Delony & Davidson. More on the project from The Times of North Little Rock. The Times of North Little Rock.

TT-MainTop.jpg

Edited by skirby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

New project announced last night for the ballpark/river area in NLR. This project will include twin nine story buildings for 72 condos, offices and retail space. Also, included in the plans is a 100-slip marina. The development company also has six months to come up with plans for the adjacent 7 acres which is across Broadway from the ballpark. This is a brownfield area but some funds($200,000) have already been a approved for the clean up. There is a link at FOX16 about this project.

Is the construction of these plans contingent upon the approval of plans for the other seven acres? From watching the video it seems likely that this project will go ahead. The pictures are rather sketchy, but they look good. It's nice to see that North Little Rock is now getting some high-rise buildings. This marina project, along with the approved $42 million complex east of the Clinton Library that includes a marina, means that we should be seeing more activity along the Arkansas River soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with you guys, the ballpark adds much more to that land than the condos woul've and there are plenty of great condo sites.

If the NLR and LR marina developments go through I think they could lead to an increasing number of water-accessible developments. I'd love to see the AR river filled with boats on the weekends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must say, I have never seen so many projects announced in such a short time in Central Arkansas (on this large of a scale).

Great time to be an Arkansan.

Both central and northwest Arkansas seem to be on a roll. Even some of eastern Arkansas is getting something going. Hopefully this is just the start of some great things going on here in our state.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Project updates:

The Residences at Building 5. Building as it now looks from street side. It is the red building.

20051109image00149fp.jpg

300 Third 3rd Tower. The red brick building in the middle is where the 300 Third building will go. The red building to the right is made up of loft apartments. The light colored building in the background is the main library.

20051109image00121kr.jpg

Federal Building expansion at $80 million.

20051109image00151hc.jpg

Heifer International.

20051109image00042na.jpg

20051109image00036yi.jpg

Edited by skirby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.