Little Rock Projects List

[turboturtle]

It has been awhile for me to post anything in the LR forum...

I've been following the traffic. A couple of things I've heard about, but had not seen posted are an update on the William Clark Wetlands. I heard that Director Kumpuris made the news about the park. Anyone have anything?

Did the City complete the work around the Junction Bridge and the Little Rock in time for Riverfest?

Also, I heard about a developer who is renovating houses in the Oak Forest neighborhood. The developer is using locals for construction workers and buying everything locally. He had an aggressive plan to rehab entire areas, not just one or two house, more like dozens of house. I also know some folks participating in the Oak Forrest Community Garden. Anyone have news about this?

As usual thanks for all the great pics, Skirby. Here's how I hope to be spending my 4th. King's Dominion Intmidator305. Assuming the lines aren't too long.

Edited June 27, 2010 by turboturtle

[skirby]

It has been awhile for me to post anything in the LR forum...

I've been following the traffic. A couple of things I've heard about, but had not seen posted are an update on the William Clark Wetlands. I heard that Director Kumpuris made the news about the park. Anyone have anything?

Did the City complete the work around the Junction Bridge and the Little Rock in time for Riverfest?

Also, I heard about a developer who is renovating houses in the Oak Forest neighborhood. The developer is using locals for construction workers and buying everything locally. He had an aggressive plan to rehab entire areas, not just one or two house, more like dozens of house. I also know some folks participating in the Oak Forrest Community Garden. Anyone have news about this?

As usual thanks for all the great pics, Skirby. Here's how I hope to be spending my 4th. King's Dominion Intmidator305. Assuming the lines aren't too long.

Plan to get down to the river in the next few weeks so I will check out the wetland park and the Junction Bridge as well as the Clinton Park Bridge.

Noticed in the Arkansas D-G today that Tower Investments has sold the old downtown YMCA building. Tower had some nice plans for the building but had to cancel them because of the cost.

[Jack7887]

Plan to get down to the river in the next few weeks so I will check out the wetland park and the Junction Bridge as well as the Clinton Park Bridge.

Noticed in the Arkansas D-G today that Tower Investments has sold the old downtown YMCA building. Tower had some nice plans for the building but had to cancel them because of the cost.

If yall are talking about the wetlands area by the Clinton Library, then, yes, it is under development. They have done some dirt work creating levees. I'm sure it will go fast now that it has started.

[cmatthews40510]

From today's Dem Gaz...

Dear Mahatma: I live near Cantrell and Mississippi. There is no safe way to walk across this intersection, even though a curb cut was put in when the new Walgreens was built. Even on Sunday mornings when I walk to church the cars whiz by, and Sunday is the ONLY time I’d ever attempt it. - Lisa.

Dear Lisa: Improvements are on the way. So says David Nilles of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Cantrell is also Arkansas 10, and falls under the department’s jurisdiction.

Nilles says a project will widen Cantrell to five lanes extending from Mississippi Avenue east to Perryville Road. As part of the project, the intersection of Cantrell and Mississippi will have new traffic signals, sidewalks and wheelchair access.

A contract will be let in the spring of 2013, with construction to begin four or five weeks afterward.

This is welcome news.. although its not exactly happening anytime soon! I hate getting stuck behind left hand turners on that stretch of road!

Map of area: http://maps.google.c...7,0.022724&z=16

[ryanaw]

Finally! I font know how many times I've seen wrecks and almost wrecks because of the unsafe set up of the road, lights and no turn lane. I'm sure this would ease traffic congrestion dramatically in the area, lower the accidents and increase pedestrian safety as well. But 2013? Hopefully early 2013.

[skirby]

In a recent report on one of the local TV stations about business openings in LR he said  the Chamber of Commence  will soon be announcing a number of tech openings/developments in the near future.  Anybody know about this?

[ecity3138]

This is unrelated to the Little Rock Forum, but it seems like our neighbor, Memphis market, is hot in bringing stores/restaurants new to the market that was on Little Rock's wish list. I mean first it was Ikea, then H&M, Nordstrom Rack, and now Cheesecake Factory! I may be driving to Memphis quite often!!!

Edited February 7, 2015 by ecity3138

[theman]

Get this week's edition or go online to the Arkansas Times. It has great write ups on development that has happened and that is planned in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock.

[skirby]

Next week will be a big week for the downtown area with the opening of the Broadway Bridge and the opening of the Tech Park.

[skirby]

Something to look forward to is a study being done for Rock Region Metro concerning the River Cities Travel Center. This block is being looked at for a transit-oriented development.

[arky]

On 12/29/2017 at 2:14 PM, skirby said:

Something to look forward to is a study being done for Rock Region Metro concerning the River Cities Travel Center. This block is being looked at for a transit-oriented development.

 

Interesting - what's a "transit oriented development?"

[akahogfan]

3 hours ago, arky said:

what's a "transit oriented development?"

In urban planning, a transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walkingdistance of public transport.

A TOD typically includes a central transit stop (such as a train station, or light rail or bus stop) surrounded by a high-density mixed-use area, with lower-density areas spreading out from this center. A TOD is also typically designed to be more walkable than other built-up areas, through using smaller block sizes and reducing the land area dedicated to automobiles.[1][2]

The densest areas of a TOD are normally located within a radius of ¼ to ½ mile (400 to 800 m) around the central transit stop, as this is considered to be an appropriate scale for pedestrians, thus solving the last mile problem.

Wiki Transit-Oriented Development

Edited January 4, 2018 by akahogfan
Typo

[skirby]

The Arkansas Arts Center building is almost completely demolished. This is a major project for Little Rock following a campaign of $128 million raised to fund the project and Arts Center. 

The new design will feature the old 1937 facade which will not be demolished.

[Smith]

On 12/2/2019 at 9:27 AM, skirby said:

The Arkansas Arts Center building is almost completely demolished. This is a major project for Little Rock following a campaign of $128 million raised to fund the project and Arts Center. 

The new design will feature the old 1937 facade which will not be demolished.

This was originally supposed to be a $40 million renovation. They said they were not choosing a new location because they would not be  building a new building. Their past building projects and expansions have had their issues. Hence why it's being torn down. The newest section of the building was built in 2000 and it is the section that is gone in the top picture. We will see if they are in over their heads.

[Architect]

There's not really another thread where this would belong,  but the DemGaz published today that Amazon is expanding in Central Arkansas:

"Amazon will open a distribution center in the former Jacuzzi warehouse off Interstate 30 near southwest Little Rock, according to a national real estate research company.
The multi-national technology company based in Seattle signed a 10-year lease that begins today for the city-owned property at 2401 Interstate 30, which is an Alexander address, according to Catylist."

[Architect]

So now, Arkansas Business is reporting that Amazon is building a 3 million SF Fulfillment Center at the Little Rock port.  Wow...that's a big deal, and makes sense paired with the earlier report of an new warehouse in SW Little Rock.  Good news in the midst of otherwise uncertain times.

[ndark]

On 4/3/2020 at 4:37 PM, Architect said:

So now, Arkansas Business is reporting that Amazon is building a 3 million SF Fulfillment Center at the Little Rock port.  Wow...that's a big deal, and makes sense paired with the earlier report of an new warehouse in SW Little Rock.  Good news in the midst of otherwise uncertain times.

Is this going to be Amazon's largest FC?  From searching I can't find any that are larger and at 3M SF this may be one of the largest if not the largest. 

[Architect]

9 minutes ago, ndark said:

Is this going to be Amazon's largest FC?  From searching I can't find any that are larger and at 3M SF this may be one of the largest if not the largest. 

Good question...I read some article that these aren't unique, that there are like 80-100 of these across the U.S., but that may have been casting too broad of a net.  I can assure you they don't have 80-100 THREE MILLION SF fulfillment centers.  I still wonder the the 3M SF number is correct.  For scale, that's like 3 McCain Malls.

[Arkanzin]

According to this article, the Amazon Distribution Center in Pflugerville (Austin), Texas is 3.8 million square feet.  

Pflugerville, Texas Amazon Distribution Center

[Architect]

6 hours ago, Arkanzin said:

According to this article, the Amazon Distribution Center in Pflugerville (Austin), Texas is 3.8 million square feet.  

Pflugerville, Texas Amazon Distribution Center

Interesting.  In that article, it also shows a  new 2.3M SF center in Birmingham that was completed in July 2019.

[skirby]

Construction has started on the Arkansas Arts Center. This shot is from a video on an  AAC site . By looking at the trees I would say this is from a few months ago.

Edited May 29, 2020 by skirby

[skirby]

Video of Arts Center construction dated Jun 26, 2020.

AAC

 

[rancenc]

Amazon building its first fulfillment center in the Little Rock area.

https://businessfacilities.com/2020/07/amazon-first-fulfillment-center-port-of-little-rock-arkansas/

 

[skirby]

Updated ACC video.

https://youtu.be/rpXb4dl0Wrg

[skirby]

It has been a week since the I-30 Crossing project has started. This project centers around the expansion of I-30 through downtown LR/NLR and the replacement of the I-30 bridge. The stated reason for the expansion is to speed up traffic for those living outside of LR by a few minutes each day. But the situation has changed and  the highway department has failed, as far as I know, to discuss  the so-called new normal on traffic. The construction is only half funded and the rest of the money is based on the extension of a sales tax in November. Also, no money has been allocated for any improvements to new underpasses or the proposed park on 2nd street as well as to rebuild the trolley line that passes under the interstate.  

What was a parking lot in the River Market is now a staging area and the parking lot under the 2nd street on/off ramp will be closed this week.