Northwest Arkansas & Southwest Missouri

[Mith242]

ACE stands for Arkansas Communities of Excellence. There are 80 of them across the state and now for the first time there is one that extends the states border. The partnership will discuss issues between northwest Arkansas and two southwest Missouri counties, McDonald and Barry County. Thias might not end up being anything huge, but still I am glad to see the area trying to work together in some fashion. I'm a bit surprised there aren't any that already extend across the Arkansas border. I figured at least West Memphis, or Texarkana would already have set up something like this.

[Rural King]

Yeah I'm really suprised Texarkana doesn't already have a relationship like this set up, since its basically one city in two states. Memphis and West Memphis doesn't suprise me as much I guess considering their distance apart.

[Mith242]

Yeah I'm really suprised Texarkana doesn't already have a relationship like this set up, since its basically one city in two states. Memphis and West Memphis doesn't suprise me as much I guess considering their distance apart.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe also because there's not really much going on in West Memphis either. Although there's some distance involved it would be nice to see to see something set up between Memphis and the Marion/West Memphis area.

[sleepy]

Maybe also because there's not really much going on in West Memphis either.  Although there's some distance involved it would be nice to see to see something set up between Memphis and the Marion/West Memphis area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce includes West Memphis. The Chamber made a big push for the auto plant in Marion.

[Mith242]

The Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce includes West Memphis.  The Chamber made a big push for the auto plant in Marion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay so there is some cooperation between the cities at least. But I think it would still be nice to eventually have stronger ties together.

[sleepy]

Okay so there is some cooperation between the cities at least.  But I think it would still be nice to eventually have stronger ties together.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not really sure what more ties there could be. It's a suburb of Memphis. I would guess the majority of people living there work in Memphis. The only media you get there are Memphis TV, radio, and newspapers, all of which cover West Memphis pretty thoroughly. West Memphis residents pay instate tuition at the Univ. of Memphis. Downtown Memphis residents use the West Memphis WalMart, because it's the nearest. And so on.

West Memphis is only 4 miles from downtown Memphis.

[Mith242]

I'm not really sure what more ties there could be.  It's a suburb of Memphis.  I would guess the majority of people living there work in Memphis.  The only media you get there are Memphis TV, radio, and newspapers, all of which cover West Memphis pretty thoroughly.  West Memphis residents pay instate tuition at the Univ. of Memphis.  Downtown Memphis residents use the West Memphis WalMart, because it's the nearest.  And so on.

West Memphis is only 4 miles from downtown Memphis.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe I've gotten the wrong impression. I guess I thought there wasn't much interaction between people in Memphis and the Arkansas side. But I do still wish that the Arkansas side of the river played a bigger part of the whole metro.

[sleepy]

Maybe I've gotten the wrong impression.

[Mith242]

You also have to realize that Crittenden County is something like 50,000 people.  That's only 4% of the metro area pop. of 1,250,000.

I think there's most likely a good deal of economic cooperation between the two--as much as you'd find between any city and suburb.  It's just not considered an attractive place to live.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that's part of the deal. Despite being just across the river from Memphis, West Memphis really hasn't developed into much so far. It looks like Marion will end up doing more to enhace the Arkansas side than West Memphis will.

But anyway getting back to the topic at hand, I am still glad that there is some cooperation going on between northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. Sometimes it seems hard just to get northwest Arkansas to work together.

[arkansas_buff]

I drive through Marion and West Memphis on my way into Memphis quite often (considering Memphis is only about an hour from where I live). The whole area is a DUNG HEAP! HIGH crime in WM. Going nowhere fast. Nothing pretty there, no nice neighborhoods, no clean gas stations or restrooms. Stop there only if you're running on fumes... even then, pay at the pump.

Okay, okay... maybe I'm being a little harsh. I know Marion has a HUGE railroad facility there, and with the intersection of 40 and 55 on the AR side, it makes for a potentially great place for commerce. Marion has landed a few plants in the last year or so, but they're still hoping for a BIG boy to come to town.

[sleepy]

I drive through Marion and West Memphis on my way into Memphis quite often (considering Memphis is only about an hour from where I live).  The whole area is a DUNG HEAP!  HIGH crime in WM.  Going nowhere fast.  Nothing pretty there, no nice neighborhoods, no clean gas stations or restrooms.  Stop there only if you're running on fumes... even then, pay at the pump.

Okay, okay... maybe I'm being a little harsh.  I know Marion has a HUGE railroad facility there, and with the intersection of 40 and 55 on the AR side, it makes for a potentially great place for commerce.  Marion has landed a few plants in the last year or so, but they're still hoping for a BIG boy to come to town.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

West Memphis and Marion both have attractive, relatively expensive ($200,000) areas. You just won't see them from the interstates because no one in either town finds the truck stop areas any more attractive than anyone else does and so the nice areas aren't built around there.

[johnnydr87]

I'm not really sure what more ties there could be.  It's a suburb of Memphis.  I would guess the majority of people living there work in Memphis.  The only media you get there are Memphis TV, radio, and newspapers, all of which cover West Memphis pretty thoroughly.  West Memphis residents pay instate tuition at the Univ. of Memphis.  Downtown Memphis residents use the West Memphis WalMart, because it's the nearest.  And so on.

West Memphis is only 4 miles from downtown Memphis.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep. We made frequent trips from mud island to West Memphis for supplies :-)

[sleepy]

Yep.  We made frequent trips from mud island  to West Memphis for supplies :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Considering that Mudtowners prefer suburban living amidst the city, I'm surprised you didn't drive the 30 miles out to Collierville.

[Arkansawyer]

I'm a bit surprised there aren't any that already extend across the Arkansas border.  I figured at least West Memphis, or Texarkana would already have set up something like this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This isn't the cities that are forming the partnership, but the Arkansas Department of Economic Development. This doesn't mean that other cities don't cooperate, it's just that this is the first time a partnership is controlled by the Arkansas Community of Excellence process. Texarkana, AR and Texarkana, TX have more cooperation than any city in the state since they are basically one city, but with two city governments.

[Mith242]

This isn't the cities that are forming the partnership, but the Arkansas Department of Economic Development. This doesn't mean that other cities don't cooperate, it's just that this is the first time a partnership is controlled by the Arkansas Community of Excellence process. Texarkana, AR and Texarkana, TX have more cooperation than any city in the state since they are basically one city, but with two city governments.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is true, does this mean Arkansas is actually trying to extend it's influence across the state border?