Riverdale

[skirby]

Talk has come up again to connect Rebsamen Park Road with River Mountain Drive. This would provide an entry to Riverdale from west LR. Alltel is pushing for this but it was turned down by a public vote a few years ago. UALR is to present a study on this problem to the city board next week.

[Architect]

Talk has come up again to connect Rebsamen Park Road with River Mountain Drive. This would provide an entry to Riverdale from west LR. Alltel is pushing for this but it was turned down by a public vote a few years ago. UALR is to present a study on this problem to the city board next week.

Personally, that was the dumbest idea ever to "vote" to close that road option. Are people that inbred and myopic to not know that the car and bike path and running track and trail and river cannot peacefully coexist as they do in the rest of the modern world? That was a snow job marketing ploy by those who lived up the hill - reving up hype about environmental issues - when all they were really worried about was themselves rather than the greater good of the entire community.

[Aporkalypse]

Personally, that was the dumbest idea ever to "vote" to close that road option. Are people that inbred and myopic to not know that the car and bike path and running track and trail and river cannot peacefully coexist as they do in the rest of the modern world? That was a snow job marketing ploy by those who lived up the hill - reving up hype about environmental issues - when all they were really worried about was themselves rather than the greater good of the entire community.

Moreover, they seem to coexist just fine through the rest of Riverdale. I agree, it's ridiculous.

[skirby]

Update on River Tower. The property has been purchased by the developer and it is to contain 38 units.

[vbfl85]

How tall is that building, 12-13 floors?

[Aporkalypse]

How tall is that building, 12-13 floors?

13 or 14, I thought.

[CentralArkansas]

13 or 14, I thought.

Where exactly is this project?

Will it be seen from downtown?

[Mith242]

Interesting, I'm also curious to see how this will be to the rest of the skyline or if this is going to be a bit more off to itself.

[skirby]

Because of its location in Riverdale it will not do anything for the downtown skyline. It will be about the same height of Alltel's tallest building in Riverdale.

[skirby]

Jimmy Moses of Moses Tucker has purchased the Holcombe Heights Apartments on Rebsamen Park Rd. This is one of the long time apartment complexes in Riverdale.

Holcombe Heights

View of downtown LR from Holcombe Heights

[Aporkalypse]

Jimmy Moses of Moses Tucker has purchased the Holcombe Heights Apartments on Rebsamen Park Rd. This is one of the long time apartment complexes in Riverdale.

Holcombe Heights

View of downtown LR from Holcombe Heights

I love the views from that complex - spectacular. The swimming pool even has that downtown and river valley panorama.

Considering the buyer, I wonder if a condo redo is in the works.

[Village Ant]

Interesting, I'm also curious to see how this will be to the rest of the skyline or if this is going to be a bit more off to itself.

Since this is my first post, I'll introduce myself by telling you that I'm 38yo and have lived in Little Rock for most of my life (moved into Holcombe Heights when I turned 18.) I've always had a civil interest in the development of the metro area, but there's been little to get excited about until the past decade.

Not that makes any difference, but I have to add that I wish they wouldn't allow anything taller than a 4 story building in Riverdale. This has been a beautiful area for some time now and it seems to have a lot of potential with it's magnificant views and wide-open space. Unfortunately, imo, most of the development in the area since the eighties has been detrimental to it's beauty by blocking views and isolating access. It needs more regional "urban fabric"; perhaps with more small shops, condos and entertainment venues, rather than another tall building. I'm thinking of something like what's envisioned for the NLR riverfront, except on a smaller scale; more open and less "urban". Something with a distinct character more suitable to it's surroudings.

Anyway, I know this has been discussed and debated on here before, but The Hathaway Group obviously doesn't agree, since it's building a 14? story building that would be better suited downtown. Too bad, because the urban sprawl in Riverdale is no better than it is in WLR.

[Aporkalypse]

Anyway, I know this has been discussed and debated on here before, but The Hathaway Group obviously doesn't agree, since it's building a 14? story building that would be better suited downtown. Too bad, because the urban sprawl in Riverdale is no better than it is in WLR.

I'm not saying I disagree with you about height restrictions, but isn't building high-rise residential buildings the OPPOSITE of urban sprawl?

[Architect]

I'm not saying I disagree with you about height restrictions, but isn't building high-rise residential buildings the OPPOSITE of urban sprawl?

I agree with you Aprokalypse. While I respect your thoughts Village Ant, I really, really don't understand why people automatically associate height with a negative attribute. If you are interested in seeing LR grow and urbanize appropriately, it requires the existing fabric to densify. If you don't, it results in sprawl. I can assure you that Chicago, Manhattan, and even downtown Little Rock were at a much smaller scale at one time.

The design of the Riverdale high-rise appears to be exceptional, and frankly, seems appropriate to the other mid-high rises in Riverdale, such as Treetops, The Riviera, Alltel, etc. Regardless, I hear through the grapevine that this project is moving quite slowly.

[flyfisher]

I agree with the last two replies and will add that The Hathway Group is not the owner / developer, but merely the real estate broker and construction manager for the development group.

[Village Ant]

I agree with you Aprokalypse. While I respect your thoughts Village Ant, I really, really don't understand why people automatically associate height with a negative attribute. If you are interested in seeing LR grow and urbanize appropriately, it requires the existing fabric to densify. If you don't, it results in sprawl. I can assure you that Chicago, Manhattan, and even downtown Little Rock were at a much smaller scale at one time.

I don't actually consider height to be a negative attribute. My problem is that I don't consider a corporate campus (e.g. Alltel), that isolates and blocks off Riverdale for people to enjoy, to be the ideal development for the area. And one of the reasons that I don't want to see tall office buildings in Riverdale is because I want to see the city densify.

I find your response particularly interesting, Architect, because I think that I've completely agreed with everything that you've said in this forum. I'm not sure that I disagree here, however, because you guys are right about River Tower being appropriate; I'm not sure why I thought it wasn't before, but I guess I was forgetting that it's a residential development. I'd like to see Riverdale developed with more urban residences, small to medium businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and parks, rather than see land isolated and views blocked with corporate office buildings.

Also, thanks for the correction, flyfisher.

[skirby]

I don't actually consider height to be a negative attribute. My problem is that I don't consider a corporate campus (e.g. Alltel), that isolates and blocks off Riverdale for people to enjoy, to be the ideal development for the area. And one of the reasons that I don't want to see tall office buildings in Riverdale is because I want to see the city densify.

I find your response particularly interesting, Architect, because I think that I've completely agreed with everything that you've said in this forum. I'm not sure that I disagree here, however, because you guys are right about River Tower being appropriate; I'm not sure why I thought it wasn't before, but I guess I was forgetting that it's a residential development. I'd like to see Riverdale developed with more urban residences, small to medium businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and parks, rather than see land isolated and views blocked with corporate office buildings.

Also, thanks for the correction, flyfisher.

Why is it ok for residental development to isolate and block off Riverdale but your are against an office building?

[Aporkalypse]

I'd like to see more commercial development, particular restaurants. There are a few very good ones there already but that area really could become more of a hip young professional "village". It's really no closer to that now, though, than it was 15 years ago. Shug's used to be one of the coolest bars in LR.

[Architect]

I don't actually consider height to be a negative attribute. My problem is that I don't consider a corporate campus (e.g. Alltel), that isolates and blocks off Riverdale for people to enjoy, to be the ideal development for the area. And one of the reasons that I don't want to see tall office buildings in Riverdale is because I want to see the city densify.

I find your response particularly interesting, Architect, because I think that I've completely agreed with everything that you've said in this forum. I'm not sure that I disagree here, however, because you guys are right about River Tower being appropriate; I'm not sure why I thought it wasn't before, but I guess I was forgetting that it's a residential development. I'd like to see Riverdale developed with more urban residences, small to medium businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and parks, rather than see land isolated and views blocked with corporate office buildings.

Also, thanks for the correction, flyfisher.

Village Ant - I see your perspective about access (whether its residential or corporate), and I understand your clarified point about wanting to force density downtown. However, as spread out as LR has become, I don't consider Riverdale to be surburban in the least - it is definetely a unique mid-town location that has and continues to develop its own identity through fairly sizable in scale developments - both corporate HQ (Dillard's and Alltel - and formerly Fairfield Communities), and residential apartments/condos (Riviera, Treetops, new high-rise, etc.).

Little Rock is big enough to support a secondary tier of medium-density mid-town districts (another, perhaps the only other - Markham & University et al). Any sizable development in Riverdale is a win for Little Rock in my opinion - done properly of course. If this were being proposed west of University Avenue, I would define it as sprawl.

[Village Ant]

Why is it ok for residental development to isolate and block off Riverdale but your are against an office building?

Well, I'm not against an office building, but I am against Riverdale becoming a financial or large-scale retail hat doesn't seem like it would fit the definition of "new urbanism" and it would seem to work for urban sprawl, rather than adistrict. I just hope Riverdale doesn't end up like the area around Financial Centre Parkway, with it's large and dull office complexes and box-like retail chains. Rather, I hope that it will have more local character and be more "walkable", which means it would need to have plenty of amenities and reasons for people to walk. Businesses are good, but I'd prefer for them to appeal and target the locals who live around Riverdale, rather than being a place for people from the outskirts of the city to drive to work, as I imagine is the case with Alltel. It should be a place where people from the outskirts come because they want to be there and not because it's required for them to work. I hate the idea of it developing with huge office complexes, with 500 or so employees trafficking to and fro large parking lots several times a day.

[Village Ant]

Village Ant - I see your perspective about access (whether its residential or corporate), and I understand your clarified point about wanting to force density downtown. However, as spread out as LR has become, I don't consider Riverdale to be surburban in the least - it is definetely a unique mid-town location that has and continues to develop its own identity through fairly sizable in scale developments - both corporate HQ (Dillard's and Alltel - and formerly Fairfield Communities), and residential apartments/condos (Riviera, Treetops, new high-rise, etc.).

Little Rock is big enough to support a secondary tier of medium-density mid-town districts (another, perhaps the only other - Markham & University et al). Any sizable development in Riverdale is a win for Little Rock in my opinion - done properly of course. If this were being proposed west of University Avenue, I would define it as sprawl.

I agree with you, except that I never liked Alltel there and I'm not sure that I'd like Dillards' corporate HQ in Riverdale if it wasn't on Cantrell Rd (Is this even Riverdale?) I might be wrong, but I prefer to see corporate "campuses" located outside of urban areas, unless they integrate them well, by using less land for parking spaces, big lawns, etc.

Anyway, you've given me something to think about and I'll look forward to your response, should you have one, because I like your vision for Little Rock.

[Architect]

I agree with you, except that I never liked Alltel there and I'm not sure that I'd like Dillards' corporate HQ in Riverdale if it wasn't on Cantrell Rd (Is this even Riverdale?) I might be wrong, but I prefer to see corporate "campuses" located outside of urban areas, unless they integrate them well, by using less land for parking spaces, big lawns, etc.

Anyway, you've given me something to think about and I'll look forward to your response, should you have one, because I like your vision for Little Rock.

I very much appreciate your compliments...I've only been posting here for about 6 months. I didn't realize there was a resource for people who liked to follow urban development, and glad to know there are people such as you that share a passion for smart growth and development - especially of Little Rock!

Anyway, my take on Riverdale and the corporate influence is that this represents a good mixed-use area, and that's always a good thing. To have people live and work in the same area creates synergy, and its a particularly beautiful setting don't you think (as I look out my office at sunset on the river here IN Riverdale!)? We can debate the merits of the scale and quality of the developments in Riverdale (and by no means do I feel it is exceptional!), but the long and short of it is that I think the blend and variety of the restaurants, shops (and developing Interios/Design district), residential (single family and high-rise) and corporate/office make for a vibrant part of town.

p.s. Access to the river could be better - too bad the exceptional, "new" river loop on LR-NLR doesn't have a right-of-way along the river bank.

[Aporkalypse]

I very much appreciate your compliments...I've only been posting here for about 6 months. I didn't realize there was a resource for people who liked to follow urban development, and glad to know there are people such as you that share a passion for smart growth and development - especially of Little Rock!

Anyway, my take on Riverdale and the corporate influence is that this represents a good mixed-use area, and that's always a good thing. To have people live and work in the same area creates synergy, and its a particularly beautiful setting don't you think (as I look out my office at sunset on the river here IN Riverdale!)? We can debate the merits of the scale and quality of the developments in Riverdale (and by no means do I feel it is exceptional!), but the long and short of it is that I think the blend and variety of the restaurants, shops (and developing Interios/Design district), residential (single family and high-rise) and corporate/office make for a vibrant part of town.

p.s. Access to the river could be better - too bad the exceptional, "new" river loop on LR-NLR doesn't have a right-of-way along the river bank.

Riverdale has a unique feel as an urban village largely for young professionals with a few hip restaurants, wonderful parks, and some very nice residential areas nearby and a short commute to downtown. Not to forget gorgeous views of the river bluffs that are bar none. I think we can all see improvement that could make it better but all in all Riverdale is one of LR's biggest assets and can only get better.

[skirby]

The pedestrian and bicycle bridge at Murray Lock and Dam will will officially open September 30th. It also has a name "Big Dam Bridge." A Lighting Ceremony will be held on Sept. 28th.

Now the Clinton Library needs to get to work on the old Rock Island Bridge to complete the east end of the River Trail.

[Aporkalypse]

The pedestrian and bicycle bridge at Murray Lock and Dam will will officially open September 30th. It also has a name "Big Dam Bridge." A Lighting Ceremony will be held on Sept. 28th.

Now the Clinton Library needs to get to work on the old Rock Island Bridge to complete the east end of the River Trail.

I sure hope they light the Rock Island and Junction bridges. A series of lighted bridges downtown could really add some pizzazz to the riverfront.