Jonesboro Developments

[arkansas_buff]

First of all, let me just tell you how exciting the following developments are for me and my family! We are ecstatic!!!

By now, everyone should be familiar with the new 800K sq ft mall coming to Jonesboro known as The Mall at Turtle Creek. This mall will be anchored by Dillards, Target, and JC Penney. There will also be stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Circuit City, Chico, Barnes & Noble, and much more.

Now, here's where all the excitement comes in. Two new restaurants have announced they will be setting up shop outside the mall. They are (drum roll please):

Chili's (long time coming)

... and... CHUCK E CHEESE'S!!! (wow, I almost wet myself as I typed it)

My 4-year-old is gonna love this place... as will my 2-year-old. I guess now would be a good time to mention that my wife and I are expecting our third on September 1 (via c-section).

I'll bring more J-town developments to this topic soon!

[arkansas_buff]

Just found out here that the concrete has already been poured for the Chuck E Cheese's!

Chili's just closed the deal with the developer, which is Belz Burrow out of Jonesboro.

Both restaurants-- along with the mall-- are slated to open in March!!!

NO NEED FOR US TO DRIVE TO MEMPHIS ANYMORE!

[arkansas_buff]

Some recent developments over the past 5 or so years here...

TJ Max, Pier 1, Office Depot, Old Navy, Outback Steakhouse, Colton's, O'Charley's, Ruby Tuesday, Cracker Barrell, & El Chico. Things are really looking up in NEA.

Heck! Even the Indians had a winning football season last year!

[arkansas_buff]

Guess I should let you in on some Paragould developments as well:

Buffalo's Steakhouse- just opened

Holiday Inn Express- under construction

8-screen Theater- under construction

New shopping center- planning phase

US 412 widening to 5 lanes from MO line to Paragould and from the western edge of Paragould to AR 141.- under construction

Paragould HS football field/ sports complex- just completed

New city water park- just completed

4th city fire station- just completed

New Community Center- just completed

The Community Center ROCKS! It has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, raquetball courts, soccer, and baseball fields, basketball courts, etc. The place is very massive and very nice.

[Rural King]

Thanks for all the great information!!!

I read in the Jonesboro Sun yesterday about the Chucky E Cheese and the Chilis. Those are great additions to any up and coming citys IMO. Chilis is a great restuarant IMO (and seems rather picky on where they locate) and Chucky Cheese is every kids dream destination growing up. LOL

All the other resturants you listed as having come in the last few years are sure signs of good growth and confidence of businesses of where Jonesboro is going. I was suprised to see El Chico, I did not know they were still expanding, they are not nearly as dominant as they were in the 80s now that they have authentic Mexican competition as the have leaned towards Tex-Mex more.

Paragould getting a 8-Screen theatre seems like a great development. Things like that tend to draw in local folks into to town, which means they will probably eat and maybe shop somewhere on that same trip to town for the movies.

[Arkansawyer]

First of all, let me just tell you how exciting the following developments are for me and my family!

[Mith242]

Congrats on the baby.

From what I've read and personally heard, the cities of Jonesboro and Paragould are doing very well, and these developments show that to be true. However, could you tell us how common that success is throughout Northeast Arkansas. I know Blytheville is doing very poorly. Basically, is the Jonesboro area an anomaly in the Delta, or is the Northeast region, as a whole, doing well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes congrats on the baby Arkansas_Buff. I've heard about a lot of things going on in Jonesboro. When I first heard about Jonesboro population growth I wondered if there was much going on over there or if they were simply annexing lots of land. But they certainly seem to have a lot of development going on over there. Sounds like you guys are getting a lot of stuff that we've got over here in northwest Arkansas. I wasn't aware of Paragould was also doing well. I've gotten the impression these are probably the only areas in east Arkansas doing very well. From what I've heard much of eastern Arkansas is losing population. It's nice to see someone is doing well in that part of the state. Do you think some of the population growth could be coming from people in other areas of eastern Arkansas?

[arkansas_buff]

Population growth is coming from a couple reasons:

1. Industry focused governments- Both Paragould and Jonesboro have local governments that are pushing hard and actually seeking out new industries for the two cities. ARI (American Railcar Industries) is a prime example in Paragould, and Jonesboro just opened a huge Nestle plant. Jonesboro has one of the finest industrial parks of any city in AR.

2. Extremely low crime- If I'm not mistaken, Paragould's crime rate was the lowest in the state. I'm vague on the source of the stat, but our mayor goes to church with me. He's really proud of it.

3. Low taxes and low energy costs

4. Good school systems- In Paragould: Greene County Tech and Paragould School District both 4A Schools. In Jonesboro: Valley View and Jonesboro School Districts are both exceptional.

Really, if you've never been here, you may have a wrong idea about the beauty of the area as well. We're not in the flat lands of the delta. Paragould, and Jonesboro sit on Crowley's Ridge, which is a bunch of gentle rolling hills with lots of trees. We're not too far from the action with Memphis being only 65 miles from Jonesboro. I love it here.

[arkansas_buff]

Yes congrats on the baby Arkansas_Buff.  I've heard about a lot of things going on in Jonesboro.  When I first heard about Jonesboro population growth I wondered if there was much going on over there or if they were simply annexing lots of land.  But they certainly seem to have a lot of development going on over there.  Sounds like you guys are getting a lot of stuff that we've got over here in northwest Arkansas.  I wasn't aware of Paragould was also doing well.  I've gotten the impression these are probably the only areas in east Arkansas doing very well.  From what I've heard much of eastern Arkansas is losing population.  It's nice to see someone is doing well in that part of the state.  Do you think some of the population growth could be coming from people in other areas of eastern Arkansas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the congrats everyone ... I don't think the Jonesboro/Paragould area really falls into the same category as the delta. Blytheville is just plain disgusting . Although they do have an awesome Christmas light display every year at the old Air Force Base. You're right about other places in the farming areas of the state being rather stagnant... if not in decline. Part of the problem is that farm land is not distributed like it used to be. There are fewer and fewer farm owners and bigger and bigger farms. What this causes is a lack of things to do. If you don't own a farm, and you're not a farm-hand, you're pretty much out of luck.

Maybe the whole Ivory Billed Woodpecker thing will catch on for the folks in Eastern AR (south of here). If you ask me, I think it's silly, but hey?!

[johnnydr87]

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker is a blessing in my opinion. It gives even more incentive to protect Arkansas' natural areas in the Delta (hunting being the main incentive). Plus, it will bring in a lot of tourism.

The bird is legendary. It's the Pheonix of North America. It embodies the passion, curiosity, and bravery of the American frontier.

Imagine a large, stunning bird that's the size of an eagle. It has a red head and a 20 inch wingspan. It has a huge, beish beak. It's able to rip bark completely of the sides of trees by grappling the trunk, maneuvering its huge beak, and utilizing its strong neck muscles. Despite its size, it's able to disappear almost effortlessly in and out of the huge cypress forests of the White River National Refuge, where it's common to find trees over five feet in diameter.

An early naturalist, who was documenting North American birds, came upon a few when traveling through the southern forests of this new country. He shot one so that he could record and diagram it. The large bird was still alive, injured, and defiantly bellowed its booming "kent" calls through the bag all the way to the explorer's bed and breakfast. He tried to feed the woodpecker, but the bird remained defiant. It could either be described as pride, or stubbornness. When he left the bird for a short period of time in the room, it tore a hole through the wooden walls and plaster in its attempt to escape. The bird was caught in the act just in time, but died due to starvation.

The bird once ranged all over the south. Arkansas was part of its northern extent. In the 1930s, the last known remaining population was documented in the Singer Tract in northern Lousiana. The reason to its decline is that the majority of its old growth forest habitat had been logged. Because the woodpecker is so large, it needs large trees to survive. The Singer Tract was one of the few remaining places with old growth forest. A lot of commotion was made to resist loggers, but in the end, loggers won out. In the 1940s, when only a handful of trees still stood in the largely clearcut landscape, an ornithologist came down from Cornell to document whatever he could of the remaining Ivory Billed population. In the tract, he found a lone Ivory Billed Woodpecker female, her home in one of the few remaining trees. He documented her unreturned calls, and the death of one of the most stunning species to grace this planet in its billions of years of history.

After the extinction of this creature, it was no longer a symbol of America's pride and pioneering spirit, but our brash, prodigal ways. It helped spurn the environmentalist movement, and forever symbolized the death of the truly wild American South. Over the next 60 years, there were purported sightings reported predominantly in the Delta states. Most of them were quickly disproven as the woodpeckers more common relative, the pileated. It looks almost exactly the same, except it is less than half the size. In science, everything needs to be supported beyond a reasonable doubt to be accepted, so when UALR professor David Luneau caught the bird on video by freak chance, it was a moment of jubilation.

After 60 years, the bird was discovered in the Cache River in Arkansas. What better place to discover a natural legend than in the "Natural State"? The hunters who helped protect the land for the migrating mallards deserve a lot of credit, along with the other naturalists. This time around, America's sense of environmental protection has matured, and millions in private donations have been given towards the acquisition of lands to restore even more wilderness. The image of the Ivory Billed has changed a third time. It's a story that's uniquely American, a rebirth and a new chance at hope. But not only that, it's a story that uniquely Arkansan, a testament to the successful efforts of hunters and naturalists alike to preserve what natural features are left in this beautiful state.

Hunters and naturalists 50 years ago couldn't have imagined this when they were fighting logging interests to preserve what little was left of the wetlands of the South. They couldn't have imagined that they were going to protect the last remaining sanctuary of an American legend. They were merely balancing their own personal interests with the welfare of the environment. And they were rewarded.

That was really long..................

[Mith242]

Population growth is coming from a couple reasons:

1.  Industry focused governments- Both Paragould and Jonesboro have local governments that are pushing hard and actually seeking out new industries for the two cities.  ARI (American Railcar Industries) is a prime example in Paragould, and Jonesboro just opened a huge Nestle plant.  Jonesboro has one of the finest industrial parks of any city in AR.

2.  Extremely low crime- If I'm not mistaken, Paragould's crime rate was the lowest in the state.  I'm vague on the source of the stat, but our mayor goes to church with me.  He's really proud of it.

3.  Low taxes and low energy costs

4.  Good school systems-  In Paragould: Greene County Tech and Paragould School District both 4A Schools.  In Jonesboro: Valley View and Jonesboro School Districts are both exceptional.

Really, if you've never been here, you may have a wrong idea about the beauty of the area as well.  We're not in the flat lands of the delta.  Paragould, and Jonesboro sit on Crowley's Ridge, which is a bunch of gentle rolling hills with lots of trees.  We're not too far from the action with Memphis being only 65 miles from Jonesboro.  I love it here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Granted that particular area isn't the delta like most of eastern Arkansas. Still just really nice to see good things happening in eastern Arkansas. I guess I'm also a little surprised about the crime rate. Not that I was expecting it to be a crime infested area either. I've always had the impression that the Ozarks were pretty low in crime. Northwest Arkansas has always had a pretty low crime rate. Crime has slowly increased as this area has been growing in population. But it's still pretty low and the crime rate isn't growing as fast as the population rate luckily.

[Mith242]

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker is a blessing in my opinion.  It gives even more incentive to protect Arkansas' natural areas in the Delta (hunting being the main incentive).  Plus, it will bring in a lot of tourism.

The bird is legendary.  It's the Pheonix of North America.  It embodies the passion, curiosity, and bravery of the American frontier.

Imagine a large, stunning bird that's the size of an eagle.  It has a red head and a 20 inch wingspan.  It has a huge, beish beak.  It's able to rip bark completely of the sides of trees by grappling the trunk, maneuvering its huge beak, and utilizing its strong neck muscles.  Despite its size, it's able to disappear almost effortlessly in and out of the huge cypress forests of the White River National Refuge, where it's common to find trees over five feet in diameter. 

An early naturalist, who was documenting North American birds, came upon a few when traveling through the southern forests of this new country.  He shot one so that he could record and diagram it.  The large bird was still alive, injured, and defiantly bellowed its booming "kent" calls through the bag all the way to the explorer's bed and breakfast.  He tried to feed the woodpecker, but the bird remained defiant.  It could either be described as pride, or stubbornness.  When he left the bird for a short period of time in the room, it tore a hole through the wooden walls and plaster in its attempt to escape.  The bird was caught in the act just in time, but died due to starvation.

The bird once ranged all over the south.  Arkansas was part of its northern extent.  In the 1930s, the last known remaining population was documented in the Singer Tract in northern Lousiana.  The reason to its decline is that the majority of its old growth forest habitat had been logged.  Because the woodpecker is so large, it needs large trees to survive.  The Singer Tract was one of the few remaining places with old growth forest.  A lot of commotion was made to resist loggers, but in the end, loggers won out.  In the 1940s, when only a handful of trees still stood in the largely clearcut landscape, an ornithologist came down from Cornell to document whatever he could of the remaining Ivory Billed population.  In the tract, he found a lone Ivory Billed Woodpecker female, her home in one of the few remaining trees.  He documented her unreturned calls, and the death of one of the most stunning species to grace this planet in its billions of years of history.

After the extinction of this creature, it was no longer a symbol of America's pride and pioneering spirit, but our brash, prodigal ways.  It helped spurn the environmentalist movement, and forever symbolized the death of the truly wild American South.  Over the next 60 years, there were purported sightings reported predominantly in the Delta states.  Most of them were quickly disproven as the woodpeckers more common relative, the pileated.  It looks almost exactly the same, except it is less than half the size.  In science, everything needs to be supported beyond a reasonable doubt to be accepted, so when UALR professor David Luneau caught the bird on video by freak chance, it was a moment of jubilation. 

After 60 years, the bird was discovered in the Cache River in Arkansas.  What better place to discover a natural legend than in the "Natural State"?  The hunters who helped protect the land for the migrating mallards deserve a lot of credit, along with the other naturalists.  This time around, America's sense of environmental protection has matured, and millions in private donations have been given towards the acquisition of lands to restore even more wilderness.  The image of the Ivory Billed has changed a third time.  It's a story that's uniquely American, a rebirth and a new chance at hope.  But not only that, it's a story that uniquely Arkansan, a testament to the successful efforts of hunters and naturalists alike to preserve what natural features are left in this beautiful state. 

Hunters and naturalists 50 years ago couldn't have imagined this when they were fighting logging interests to preserve what little was left of the wetlands of the South.  They couldn't have imagined that they were going to protect the last remaining sanctuary of an American legend.  They were merely balancing their own personal interests with the welfare of the environment.  And they were rewarded. 

That was really long..................

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice to see such a thorough post from you Johnny. I also agree with you. It's great that this bird was found here in Arkansas in the natural state. I was a bit worried at firs that the whole area would become inundated with people and ruin their habitat. But it seems that people are being responsible and holding back. Hopefully we can find a good balance of having visitors that would help the economy there and not having things get out of hand and destroy the bird's last habitat.

[arkansas_buff]

Just a quick side note... the new 8-screen theater opened in Paragould tonight!

[Mith242]

Just a quick side note... the new 8-screen theater opened in Paragould tonight!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish Malco would hurry up and build a new theater here in Fayetteville. They've been building theaters everywhere else in northwest Arkansas it seems. Especially Rogers, they've already got the nicest theater up there and it sounds like they're going to build two more. Including one that will be their 'flagship' type theater.

[mcheiss]

Well, I've heard from a very reliable source that four new stores are coming to Jonesboro.

1)New York and Company along Highland Drive & Stadium Blvd.

2)Victoria's Secret along Highland Drive

3)Chico's in Turtle Creek Mall

4)Gordon's Jewlers in Turtle Creek Mall

I'm really not familiar with Jonesboro, but isn't this where the Turtle Creek Mall is going in.

Good for Jonesboro!!! You guys really need a good mall out there

[Rural King]

^Yep, in fact its stated in the first post of the thread . Those additional commerical ventures will definately add to the momentum in the commercial sector that Jonesboro is seeing. Good things are happening in Jonesboro, and its on its way up it appears.

[mcheiss]

Isn't there another big mall going in Jonesboro?

[Rural King]

The Mall at Turtle Creek is the only one I know of. MATC is brand new, so I bet thats what you are thinking of, but arkansas buff would know if anything else was going in, so he would be the definitive source -although he hasn't been on for awhile.

[mcheiss]

The Mall at Turtle Creek is the only one I know of. MATC is brand new, so I bet thats what you are thinking of, but arkansas buff would know if anything else was going in, so he would be the definitive source.

It's not the turtle Creek mall I'm talking about. I already know that they are putting in a Dillards and target. But I thought I heard about an 800,000 square foot mall being developed by belz.

[mcheiss]

BIG NEWS FOR MALL AT TURTLE CREEK!!!!!!!

50 STORES ANNOUNCED FOR THE MALL INCLUDE:

Aeropostale,

American Eagle,

Ann Taylor Loft,

Auntie Ann

[Rural King]

It's not the turtle Creek mall I'm talking about. I already know that they are putting in a Dillards and target. But I thought I heard about an 800,000 square foot mall being developed by belz.

Turtle Creek is 800K as stated by arkansas buff in his first post. Two 800K sq/f malls would be alot of brand new mall space for Jonesboro.

[Kyle]

That makes me wonder, why not a new mall on this side in Jackson? Yes, we have one, but it's outdated and it isn't really much larger than Indian mall is/was.

[johnnydr87]

hot damn! That's a frikkin amazing mall for jonesboro

[Rural King]

That makes me wonder, why not a new mall on this side in Jackson? Yes, we have one, but it's outdated and it isn't really much larger than Indian mall is/was.

I imagine one is coming sooner rather than later, and it will probably be on US 45 bypass since thats where everthing else is going. The current mall is not very popular outside the immediate Jackson area, with folks going to Memphis or Paducah (KY) to malls rather than it.

Jackson and Jonesboro are comparable cities, and if one gets or already has something its a pretty easy bet that the other will get a something comparable once its been shown to work in the other.

@ Kyle - Isn't there rumor of a new commercial shopping area out by the Columns?

[Kyle]

I imagine one is coming sooner rather than later, and it will probably be on US 45 bypass since thats where everthing else is going. The current mall is not very popular outside the immediate Jackson area, with folks going to Memphis or Paducah (KY) to malls rather than it.

Jackson and Jonesboro are comparable cities, and if one gets or already has something its a pretty easy bet that the other will get a something comparable once its been shown to work in the other.

@ Kyle - Isn't there rumor of a new commercial shopping area out by the Columns?

I haven't heard any rumors about a shopping area in the Columns. Then again, with all the big boxes, restaurants, and that strip mall out there now I really don't think they can fit anything else in there.