UAMS Campus Expansion

[johnnydr87]

You might be right.

This idea is being kicked around elsewhere by people who influence the influencial. I happen to think it would be terrific for Little Rock on a couple of important levels; 1) Pine to University and 12th to I-630, which already has a lot of commercial property, is ignored yet it borders 4 major economic development initiatives in the City (the University District, Midtown, War Memorial Park, and UAMS). 2) As the Arkansas River divides Little Rock from North Little Rock (you two support THAT merger), I-630 divides Little Rock racially. Anything that can bridge this divide in a positive way is good for the City.

I'm sure you guys know that the original entrance to War Memorial is Johnson St of 12th St.

I definitely noticed the racial divide when I visited a few weeks ago. I have a (white) friend who lives on 22nd, south of I-630. It seems his family was one of the few white ones in the whole neighborhood. The divide is not totally distinct, and hopefully it's not trending in the direction.

[Aporkalypse]

The idea is to create a redevelopment plan for University to Pine and 12th to I-630.

Sounds like a great idea.

Midtown LR already has so much and it could be so much more. I want to see the city invest in street improvements along Markham and University (both the roads separately and the intersection.

The problem with the Pine/Cedar between Markham and 630 is that it's in UAMS' shadow. UAMS owns much of that property and can use eminent domain to do it. UAMS has grown as far west as it can and it had to move the State Hospital to do that. Additional buildings in the next two decades will probably eat up a lot of that area and eventually Pine and Cedar will be part of the campus. That said, it will hopefullly be doing more growing up than out to keep the campus walkable After the cancer cetnter expansion, though, I would bet building will slow down for a while.

[theman]

I wouldn't call it an absolute racial divide but there certainly is a major trend. The Quapaw Quarter and Fair Park Blvd are largely white and there are neighborhoods like Broadmoor and Western Hills that are at least 1/3 white. Likewise there are some largely black pockets north of I-630 such as Reservoir Road.

Still, I've heard the advice "stay North of I-630" too many times lately, especially since the Barrow Road/Parkview area went South. I hate to see too much segregation in the city.

Don't write off the Barrow Road/Parkview area just yet. That neighborhood is fighting not to become another blighted area of the city. Many in the area were supportive of the Summit Mall proposal since it was not too far from the neighborhood. They have supported all of the expansion by Baptist and the other medical offices. Arvest renovated the old target store and has a fairly sizable operation there. CALS built a new library branch on Barrow Rd. Pulaski Tech took over the old business school near Kanis and Barrow for its Little Rock branch. A new subdivision is going in just east of Barrow and Kanis and other development is going on in the area.

[Architect]

Don't write off the Barrow Road/Parkview area just yet. That neighborhood is fighting not to become another blighted area of the city. Many in the area were supportive of the Summit Mall proposal since it was not too far from the neighborhood. They have supported all of the expansion by Baptist and the other medical offices. Arvest renovated the old target store and has a fairly sizable operation there. CALS built a new library branch on Barrow Rd. Pulaski Tech took over the old business school near Kanis and Barrow for its Little Rock branch. A new subdivision is going in just east of Barrow and Kanis and other development is going on in the area.

Excellent observations about Barrow Road/Parkview. Those aren't insignificant projects! The biggest thing they will battle is perception.

[Aporkalypse]

Excellent observations about Barrow Road/Parkview. Those aren't insignificant projects! The biggest thing they will battle is perception.

Just as importantly, they will battle skyrocketing crime. When the tornados hit College Station that area cleaned up quite a bit and crime kind of took off around Barrow. That's one of the highest crime areas of town now, despite being adjacent to the West LR police station on Kanis.

[nwa_479]

I don't know if I'm right but I swear I saw UAMS something something on a building in Lowell or Springdale. Does anyone know anything about that? Is that part of the little expansion thing coming to NWA?

[Architect]

I don't know if I'm right but I swear I saw UAMS something something on a building in Lowell or Springdale. Does anyone know anything about that? Is that part of the little expansion thing coming to NWA?

Could be.

Just as an aside, I think a lot of people think that in principle, its poor judgement to diffuse resources to another location in this state - a state which in general, doesn't have a plethora of resources in the first place. I still haven't heard one valid reason why this benefits the citizens of the state of Arkansas.

[turboturtle]

Could be.

Just as an aside, I think a lot of people think that in principle, its poor judgement to diffuse resources to another location in this state - a state which in general, doesn't have a plethora of resources in the first place. I still haven't heard one valid reason why this benefits the citizens of the state of Arkansas.

UAMS is definitely creating a satellite campus in NWA. The jobs link on the web site shows that they hiring for it too.

This reminds me of the Artimes reference to a NY Times(?) article about the loss of Acxiom and Alltel (SHOULD they be sold off or broken-up) signaling the dominance of NWA of the AR economy. Any one know if other major Med Schools have satellite campuses?

[Architect]

UAMS is definitely creating a satellite campus in NWA. The jobs link on the web site shows that they hiring for it too.

This reminds me of the Artimes reference to a NY Times(?) article about the loss of Acxiom and Alltel (SHOULD they be sold off or broken-up) signaling the dominance of NWA of the AR economy. Any one know if other major Med Schools have satellite campuses?

Yes, I know that they are creating some type of satellite campus. I was just saying that that sign "could be" the location.

I still maintain that it is a ludicrous idea. This state doesn't need two medical schools, or even some "satellite" campus. I wanted to be an architect. The state only has one architectural school in Fayetteville (only one is needed). I didn't think anything about going to school 200 miles away, nor should anyone wanting to go to medical school.

[turboturtle]

Yes, I know that they are creating some type of satellite campus. I was just saying that that sign "could be" the location.

I still maintain that it is a ludicrous idea. This state doesn't need two medical schools, or even some "satellite" campus. I wanted to be an architect. The state only has one architectural school in Fayetteville (only one is needed). I didn't think anything about going to school 200 miles away, nor should anyone wanting to go to medical school.

I agree. But, you're swimming upstream. My reference to the Artimes blog story is to suggest that the UAMS move may be part of a much larger trend. We might want to start discussing other states where the City with the seat of government is not the dominant are economically. We talk a lot about LR and NLR. Perhaps we should be talking about Central Arkansas and NWA. The article I referred to earlier suggests that the effect of this trend would mean loss of jobs in Central Arkansas, while jobs increase in NWA. I hate to see one are gain at the expense of the other.

[theman]

I agree. But, you're swimming upstream. My reference to the Artimes blog story is to suggest that the UAMS move may be part of a much larger trend. We might want to start discussing other states where the City with the seat of government is not the dominant are economically. We talk a lot about LR and NLR. Perhaps we should be talking about Central Arkansas and NWA. The article I referred to earlier suggests that the effect of this trend would mean loss of jobs in Central Arkansas, while jobs increase in NWA. I hate to see one are gain at the expense of the other.

I can think of a couple of examples off of the top of my hand. In Texas Austin is the seat of government. It has a good economy but is overshadowed by Houston and Dallas. In Florida Tallahasee is the seat of government, but the economic engines in that state are Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

I don't think that opening a satellite school in NWA is going to cost jobs in CA. That area is growing so fast that they felt that doctors needed to be trained in that area. Now that the growth has slowed lets see how this process goes along. One thing about NWA's economy is that its basically dependent on Wal Mart, Tyson, JB Hunt and a few other companies. CA's economy is more diverse. Wal Mart can go away, but state goverment isn't going anywhere.

[Architect]

I agree. But, you're swimming upstream. My reference to the Artimes blog story is to suggest that the UAMS move may be part of a much larger trend. We might want to start discussing other states where the City with the seat of government is not the dominant are economically. We talk a lot about LR and NLR. Perhaps we should be talking about Central Arkansas and NWA. The article I referred to earlier suggests that the effect of this trend would mean loss of jobs in Central Arkansas, while jobs increase in NWA. I hate to see one are gain at the expense of the other.

I think the notion that one grows at the expense of the other is fundamentally false in this example, and 'journalism' (as it were from AT) that fuels this notion is sensationalizing this issue. Data would indicate that much of the growth of NWA is pulling from out of state, and I would suggest that even that growth within the state was from a segment of the population that has an 'aversion' to the general 'perception' of big-city issues in Little Rock.

Little Rock's MSA has maintained a steady, sustained, and even above average (compared to similar markets in the region) growth over the past 20 years, and data supports that it may be accelerating. NWA is an exception, and a welcomed one at that. I'm glad that Arkansas can now claim two legitimate MSA's - two that vary quite a bit in what they offer. The energy and vibrancy of the NWA market is something to be embraced, and I don't buy into the continued drama that its undermining Little Rock. It should be a healthy competition - I don't think people in Oklahoma fret over the 'dominance' of OKC over Tulsa or vice versa.

[johnnydr87]

I think the notion that one grows at the expense of the other is fundamentally false in this example, and 'journalism' (as it were from AT) that fuels this notion is sensationalizing this issue. Data would indicate that much of the growth of NWA is pulling from out of state, and I would suggest that even that growth within the state was from a segment of the population that has an 'aversion' to the general 'perception' of big-city issues in Little Rock.

Little Rock's MSA has maintained a steady, sustained, and even above average (compared to similar markets in the region) growth over the past 20 years, and data supports that it may be accelerating. NWA is an exception, and a welcomed one at that. I'm glad that Arkansas can now claim two legitimate MSA's - two that vary quite a bit in what they offer. The energy and vibrancy of the NWA market is something to be embraced, and I don't buy into the continued drama that its undermining Little Rock. It should be a healthy competition - I don't think people in Oklahoma fret over the 'dominance' of OKC over Tulsa or vice versa.

Here is the link to the Arkansas Blog posting. The blog merely referenced ideas put forth by Talk Business and Bloomberg News; it did not make any comment or "sensationalize."

I personally asked Max Brantley (editor of AT) of what he thought of the duality between NWA and LR during one of his Question/Answer sessions a few weeks ago. He said:

As for the duality of NW Ark. and the rest of the state: That's a non-issue, except with regional partisans. Places that grow should grow. All in the jurisdiction will benefit. Central Arkansas will remain strong, as the seat of government and some other major institutions. And, guess what? I don't think NW Ark.'s continued growth is necessarily assured. Wal-Mart could relocate to Shanghai. Tyson, too. I'm not predicting. Just saying. Things change.

[Aporkalypse]

Yes, I know that they are creating some type of satellite campus. I was just saying that that sign "could be" the location.

I still maintain that it is a ludicrous idea. This state doesn't need two medical schools, or even some "satellite" campus. I wanted to be an architect. The state only has one architectural school in Fayetteville (only one is needed). I didn't think anything about going to school 200 miles away, nor should anyone wanting to go to medical school.

The medical school satellite campus is the product of a rural-led legislative effort backed by some of the UAMS administration that feels that a second campus will help produce more physicians willing to live in the underserved communities of rural Arkansas. I think it will help NWA find physicians but won't help places like DeQueen, Dumas, or Mountain View one bit. UAMS also knows it can probably find private donors to defray some of the cost but every proposal I've seen had the state paying a giant portion.

There is the valid argument that to expand the medical school from 150 per class to 180 or 200 that UAMS's current hospital isn't large enough. This is true but it expanding and you have two tertiary care centers (Baptist and St Vincent's) that are the state's largest and second largest medical centers and already have a role in teaching residents and medical students that could easily be expanded at essentially no cost to UAMS (and therefore taxpayers). That's how UT-Southwestern in Dallas copes with its large medical school classes - they spend time training at the private non-academic Baylor hospitals. UAMS used the example of Kansas' second campus in Wichita as if it were standard. It's not, it's actually unusual.

[Architect]

The medical school satellite campus is the product of a rural-led legislative effort backed by some of the UAMS administration that feels that a second campus will help produce more physicians willing to live in the underserved communities of rural Arkansas. I think it will help NWA find physicians but won't help places like DeQueen, Dumas, or Mountain View one bit. UAMS also knows it can probably find private donors to defray some of the cost but every proposal I've seen had the state paying a giant portion.

There is the valid argument that to expand the medical school from 150 per class to 180 or 200 that UAMS's current hospital isn't large enough. This is true but it expanding and you have two tertiary care centers (Baptist and St Vincent's) that are the state's largest and second largest medical centers and already have a role in teaching residents and medical students that could easily be expanded at essentially no cost to UAMS (and therefore taxpayers). That's how UT-Southwestern in Dallas copes with its large medical school classes - they spend time training at the private non-academic Baylor hospitals. UAMS used the example of Kansas' second campus in Wichita as if it were standard. It's not, it's actually unusual.

I agree. It is highly unusual, and completely unwarranted in my opinion. This merely "splits" resources that could more readily and prudently be applied to the existing campus, which is well on its way to becoming a world-class medical school. Now is not the time to water it down....

[LIT uPP]

The new UAMS hospital tower topped out, today.

http://www.uams.edu/growing/

[Aporkalypse]

I agree. It is highly unusual, and completely unwarranted in my opinion. This merely "splits" resources that could more readily and prudently be applied to the existing campus, which is well on its way to becoming a world-class medical school. Now is not the time to water it down....

Well, the local hype far overstates UAMS' accomplishments. Realistically, and this is speaking as an alum, it is a medical school that is average at best and struggling financially. It has difficulty finding and retaining decent academic doctors.

Now compound this by opening a second campus, a really third rate bare bones operation and how could this do anything but worsen our situation? You could take the same amount of money and pump into the main campus and try to make it more of a UAB, a school with a regional/national reputation.

[LIT uPP]

The front page of the UAMS construction website contains an updated panoramic photo of the overall expansion project, taken from the VA - looking north. A large amount of the glass has been installed on the western half of the hospital tower, and the parking deck is substantially completed. In my opinion the most striking aspect about this photo is the UAMS skyline in general. It

[LIT uPP]

It appears that Walgreens will put a store just east of UAMS on Markham, between Pine and Cedar. This is an item coming before the LR Planning Commission at its March 27th meeting. Currently, there is an old motel on part of that block. I don

[Architect]

It appears that Walgreens will put a store just east of UAMS on Markham, between Pine and Cedar. This is an item coming before the LR Planning Commission at its March 27th meeting. Currently, there is an old motel on part of that block. I don

[Aporkalypse]

Wow....and after all this time! I'd heard that rumor 3 or 4 years ago from UAMS personnel (we do a lot of work on that campus), and thought it surely was dead. Hallelujah!! That motel is a SAD blight on that part of town, and that will only improve it greatly - even if it is just a Walgreens.

Walgreen's and CVS love to place 24-hour pharmacies near large medical centers and this will be close to UAMS and St Vincent's. This should've been done years ago.

That crack hotel has been a blight on the neighborhood for decades. I'm so thrilled to finally see it going away. There is a "bad neighborhood" rep for UAMS that is largely unfounded and I swear that 90% of this is that one hotel.

[turboturtle]

In addition to the motel property, Walgreens would probably need to purchase some of the residential lots behind the motel. If they would build up to the sidewalk and put the parking in the back, I could see a Walgreens work there.

I still agree with myself. Instead of allowing a curb-cut on Markham between Pine and Cedar, I think they need to put the parking in back.

[Aporkalypse]

I still agree with myself. Instead of allowing a curb-cut on Markham between Pine and Cedar, I think they need to put the parking in back.

I meant to post this earlier but I'm pretty sure those residential lots you referred to are owned by UAMS.

[LIT uPP]

For the sole purpose of having this documented on the UP Little Rock forum, the tower crane has been up for the last couple of weeks at the site of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. This twelve story tower will make a nice addition to the UAMS skyline

[Arkansas Student]

I don't know if I'm right but I swear I saw UAMS something something on a building in Lowell or Springdale. Does anyone know anything about that? Is that part of the little expansion thing coming to NWA?

The sign you see in the Lowell/Springdale area most likely refers to the UAMS AHEC (Area Health Education Clinic). Their main building is off of Joyce in way NE Fayetteville, but I think they have some other facilities in the Springdale area. Of course, it may also have been some kind of advertisement.

I live across the street from UAMS and within sight of the Economy Inn that is slated to be replaced with the Walgreen's. I've only lived there for about a month and find the location wonderful for my needs (my wife in school @ UAMS, I am @ UALR Law downtown), excepting for that motel and the loitering in front of Markham Liquor. It will be great to have a store like Walgreen's close by for emergencies and general pharmaceutical needs.

Someone mentioned areas with few physicians like Mountain View, where I'm from. We actually are doing okay in the physician department since our local hospital became part of the White River Regional Health System out of Batesville. Unfortunately, our hospital was nearly destroyed by the February 5, 2008 tornado. However, the silver lining is that the tornado destroyed the older, original part of the hospital and left the new additions (from about 2005 onward) relatively intact. So, Mtn. View gets a nearly brand new hospital out of the deal.

But special attention should be paid to physician needs in places like Mountain View and other cities in AR where retirees are flocking en masse. Health care needs are going to quickly outpace providers soon. I have thought for many years that UAMS could be a leader in rural medicine by establishing some sort of program to expose doctors to the needs of rural healthcare and how physicians in those areas differ from physicians in urban areas. Many of the doctors who practice in Mtn. View currently relocated here from larger cities b/c of the quality of life available to them and their families -- I would bet that further exposure to small areas would be all it takes to attract physicians into those markets.