McDonald County tidbit

[KJW]

There's apparently no link to this online so I'll quote it from memory.

I picked up a copy of the McDonald County Press last week which said that McDonald's land values are now the highest in the region. Looking at the article, the region was defined as Barry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Stone Counties in Missouri. That's significant because: 1) Jasper and Newton are the counties for Joplin, MO, which used to be the main trading area for McDonald and is still a significant one for western Missouri, southeast Kansas and far northeast Oklahoma, and; 2) Stone County is home to Kimberling City, Silver Dollar City and Branson West...a significant resort/tourist area.

Anyway, the gist of the article was that McDonald's farmland prices are now over $2,000 per acre. Wish I had the figures, but this was apparently the highest jump experienced in either the region or the state since 1959. Only 14 of Missouri's 118 counties, most of them in metro areas (ostensibly St. Louis, Kansas City and perhaps Springfield) now have higher farmland per-acre value.

[johnnydr87]

Are you implying anything?

Say, Disney World?

I've read your posts on themeparksonline

[KJW]

Are you implying anything?

Say, Disney World?

I've read your posts on themeparksonline

Johnny...I actually found out about that web site through this site.

The fact that themparksonline has a "Rumors" board leads me to discount this Disney talk no matter how many times I hear it. But locals here will tell you how cheap land once was in McDonald, and that article tends to support what they're saying.

BTW, a man and his wife, the former a 70+ year resident of McDonald who's retired down the street from us, says that Freeman Hospital (Joplin, MO) is building a campus a half mile north of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter (putting it about 1 1/2 miles north of the Arkansas line) in that county.

[johnnydr87]

lol.... You have several posts supporting the notion at themeparksonline (I'm assuming you're Kurt Wayne)...so apparently you haven't completely discounted it.

I like the idea of a Disney theme park, but that may be wishful thinking.

- One of the two local newspapers here has indeed reported that a key Disney marketing executive has been relocated from LA to here. (This was, I believe, 2 years ago). I figured this is just for Wal-Mart, but this individual was a very key figure for the company. They've also got a building they've constructed off "J" street in Bentonville...again, I'm sure that's for W-M.

- Last year, Bentonville unveiled plans for an art museum with a $100 million operating budget, Crystal Bridges. Here is the Crystal Bridges web site. Call me a skeptic, but I've a hard time believing this is being built without further anticipation of something significant to draw tourists here.

- The place where rumors here keep persisting is McDonald County, Missouri, immediately above Bentonville (Benton County, Arkansas). McDonald county was one of the poorest yet most gorgeous counties in the Show-me State. Wal-Mart has built a supercenter there (and in what was once a poor, Missouri hillbilly county you can now see chinese, hispanic, punjabi indian, black, rastafarian, gay, etc. families shopping at ease) and also has their mainframe computer operations at a location right on the Missouri side of the Arkansas state line.

I've heard more than one rumor that Wal-Mart execs have been furiously purchasing land up there (which one could once buy for peanuts).

- I've heard more than one person tell me that Disney has indeed purchased land in that particular county, immediately north of the Wal-Mart stuff at the state line. There are a LOT of improvements going on up there for whatever reason.

[KJW]

lol.... You have several posts supporting the notion at themeparksonline (I'm assuming you're Kurt Wayne)...so apparently you haven't completely discounted it.

I like the idea of a Disney theme park, but that may be wishful thinking.

Yeah, that's me.

Again, the things that I mentioned on my posts (three of them?) on that thread are interesting, though not conclusive for Disney. And there's sure a lot of smoke despite no apparent fire.

I subtitled this "whomever is developing". Apparently something's expected in "Booger County" (what old-timers used to call it...I've heard the same nickname for Douglas County, MO from a former resident there), whether it's spinoff development from the new bypass or whatever. As I said on that thread, my daughter's teacher is looking to buy land in McDonald, and she's heard that county is going to try and develop itself more as a tourist attraction. The article I saw even mentioned that people are moving there because the land is so pretty (it is indeed) and suggested that's a big reason for the increase in per acre price.

[vbfl85]

WM and Disney are probably making an investment in buying relatively cheap land. IF they had any plans for a theme park or whatever, it would be way down the road. Like 40 years.

[masons_dad1]

$2,000 an acre in McDonald County? Is that supposed to mean something? That wouldn't buy a square yard in many places in Northwest Arkansas. I think if Disney is coming the price for an acre would impress me just a little more than that.

[mcheiss]

WM and Disney are probably making an investment in buying relatively cheap land. IF they had any plans for a theme park or whatever, it would be way down the road. Like 40 years.

I've heard plenty of talk as well about McDonald County getting a disney theme park. It's also been rumored that the theme park could come to an area between Siloam Springs and Springdale.

The rumor about the hospital is true KJW, Freeman Hospital is building a campus there, but I'm not sure how big. There's also a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc and a Chevy Dealership that are opening.

[strmchsr77]

I've heard plenty of talk as well about McDonald County getting a disney theme park. It's also been rumored that the theme park could come to an area between Siloam Springs and Springdale.

The rumor about the hospital is true KJW, Freeman Hospital is building a campus there, but I'm not sure how big. There's also a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc and a Chevy Dealership that are opening.

It seems like it is pretty far away from Joplin for a major Joplin based hospital to be located there. I am sure that the population is really growing there with the road improvement and expansion, but it is really growing that much? They could be counting on I-49 being completed in a few years and just be thinking ahead.

The Theme park rumor is really big, but it seems like the last place Disney would put a park. I guess land is cheaper that most places and populations are increasing. I hope something happens, but I don't expect it anytime soon.

[mcheiss]

The Theme park rumor is really big, but it seems like the last place Disney would put a park. I guess land is cheaper that most places and populations are increasing. I hope something happens, but I don't expect it anytime soon.

It does seem like an odd place to put a theme park, but land is cheap, and it's it the center of the continental U.S. There's also great job growth going on in the area. My biggest concern with it is that it's not near a large enough metro. San Antonio makes more sense to me, simply because it's a large market with more days warmer out of the year. If I had to guess where Disney is going to build another theme park, it would be San Antonio.

[KJW]

It does seem like an odd place to put a theme park, but land is cheap, and it's it the center of the continental U.S. There's also great job growth going on in the area. My biggest concern with it is that it's not near a large enough metro. San Antonio makes more sense to me, simply because it's a large market with more days warmer out of the year. If I had to guess where Disney is going to build another theme park, it would be San Antonio.

strmchasr,

I'm somewhat with you on the "odd place", but it's very pretty country up there...there's a vast expanse of low rolling hill, forested land immediately west of U.S. 71 between Jane and Noel.

Regarding the Freeman Hospital/Joplin news...again, it's interesting (Disney or not) that McDonald county land is now more expensive than any place in the Joplin metro area.

[KJW]

Not a big deal but supposedly a strip mall is now coming to Jane, MO around where the Elks lodge is. (Near that stupid Missouri HOTS club, so I guess its appropriate for a strip mall to be built nearby).

Also, I did the big grocery run at the Jane W-M last night. Among the customers:

- 7 african americans

- 3 (India)ns

- 3 asians

- Multiple hispanics

There's a cool guy who is always stocking the shelves whenever I see him on Sunday evenings...he looks like the late guitarist Cub Koda of Brownsville Station (who wrote and originally recorded "Smokin' in the boys room" in the early 70s) except with a lot more tattoos, I think. He's bought a house in Noel, MO.

He said the ethnic mix is pretty much there all the time at the Jane W-M. He said the only folks he knows who seem bothered with it are the old-timers from the area (who remember when McDonald was all-white, all the time) and even they aren't that saddened by it because of all the money they're making selling their land.

[KJW]

Don't know if it made the big "NWA restaurants" thread, but...the "golden arches" are coming to McDonald County.

There's not even a sign for it...this new McDonald's (if they're thinking they could do something neat with the only McDonald's in the only (I believe) McDonald County in America) is just sprouting up with the distinctive roof and walls already in place immediately north of the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Jane, and just south of the Boonslick Hotel and the Community Bank. It's kind of different in a way...most McDonald's in this area seem to be build perpendicular to the major road they're located off of...this one is parallel to it's main route, U.S. 71, and the entrance appears to be on the north side rather than the south side.

The Boonslick Hotel operator said he's been very busy since he opened, and has even had some Wal-Mart International people as guests. He said the hospital should begin construction as soon as water lines are built immediately north of his place, and said there will also be a small strip mall built with two "sit-down" restaurants, a mexican place and a pizza parlor.

[mcheiss]

I think a subway and a pizza hut are going to be built up there as well. Thanks for the update.

[KJW]

The McDonald's is about to open, it looks like...the lettering was on the side of the restaurant 3 days ago and the golden arches sign was on the parking lot awaiting to be hoisted into place.

Right now it's (heading north, on the right side) the Wal-Mart Supercenter, new Mac's, new Bank (getting closer to completion), temporary bank in the trailer, Boonslick Motel, new strip mall. The little mall doesn't look that big but will house the aforementioned other restaurants...the walls, ceiling and structure is up on the mall and it looks like they're getting ready to do interior work. It's amazing how much Jane has sprouted up...I don't know when they're going to build the medical complex.

[Aporkalypse]

I've been kind of surprised McDonald Co hasn't grown much looking at the census figures. going from 21,600 in 2000 to 22,800 now. You kind of figure at some point it's going to take off.

[mcheiss]

I've been kind of surprised McDonald Co hasn't grown much looking at the census figures. going from 21,600 in 2000 to 22,800 now. You kind of figure at some point it's going to take off.

I wonder if parts of McDonald are loosing population while other parts, such as the Southern part are gaining.

[KJW]

I wonder if parts of McDonald are loosing population while other parts, such as the Southern part are gaining.

From what I can gather, it looks like the main development there has been commercial. When we first moved here in 2002 we were discouraged from looking at McDonald County due to the school system. There's a nice subdivision going up on a hilltop west/southwest of Pineville.

This stuff here seems almost to be shopping for the (nearly 30,000?) Bella Vista residents. A lady I talked with about the McDonald's said it's ironic...she said W-M had to essentially promise not to put in a McD's in their new supercenter in order not to draw away traffic from BV restaurants. (The supercenter has a Blimpie's which I think is better...there they have hot pretzels. Mmmmm...) However, who decides to locate a freestanding restaurant immediately north, across the road? You guessed it...

[Aporkalypse]

From what I can gather, it looks like the main development there has been commercial. When we first moved here in 2002 we were discouraged from looking at McDonald County due to the school system. There's a nice subdivision going up on a hilltop west/southwest of Pineville.

This stuff here seems almost to be shopping for the (nearly 30,000?) Bella Vista residents. A lady I talked with about the McDonald's said it's ironic...she said W-M had to essentially promise not to put in a McD's in their new supercenter in order not to draw away traffic from BV restaurants. (The supercenter has a Blimpie's which I think is better...there they have hot pretzels. Mmmmm...) However, who decides to locate a freestanding restaurant immediately north, across the road? You guessed it...

When I was a kid I used to like Stephenson's Cider Mill, I haven't been there in years.

[KJW]

When I was a kid I used to like Stephenson's Cider Mill, I haven't been there in years.

Aporkalypse, here is what is on that property (and all around it) now.

[Mith242]

This doesn't really pertain to McDonald County. But there's an article in today's Northwest Arkansas Times talking about how Neosho in Newton County just north of McDonald County is trying to tie it's future to NWA. It's starting a advertisement campaign to try to get people in NWA to notice them as a possible part of the metro. I guess if it works for them then it won't be too long before Newton County ends up as part of our metro as well.

[mcheiss]

This doesn't really pertain to McDonald County. But there's an article in today's Northwest Arkansas Times talking about how Neosho in Newton County just north of McDonald County is trying to tie it's future to NWA. It's starting a advertisement campaign to try to get people in NWA to notice them as a possible part of the metro. I guess if it works for them then it won't be too long before Newton County ends up as part of our metro as well.

I wonder why. Do they not like being part of the Springfield Metro? I wouldn't mind having Newton County added to the MSA. I think it's only a matter of time before they're added. McDonald has been added and Barry will be added soon.

[Mith242]

I wonder why. Do they not like being part of the Springfield Metro? I wouldn't mind having Newton County added to the MSA. I think it's only a matter of time before they're added. McDonald has been added and Barry will be added soon.

Are they a part of the Springfield metro? I wasn't sure if it extended over to the border. This is the county just north of McDonald. The article also mentioned how there's been very little growth going on in Neosho compared to NWA.

[mcheiss]

Are they a part of the Springfield metro? I wasn't sure if it extended over to the border. This is the county just north of McDonald. The article also mentioned how there's been very little growth going on in Neosho compared to NWA.

I did some research and found out that Neosho is more than 50 miles from Rogers. I don't see how they're going to try and bank off of NWA's growth.

[KJW]

I wonder why. Do they not like being part of the Springfield Metro? I wouldn't mind having Newton County added to the MSA. I think it's only a matter of time before they're added. McDonald has been added and Barry will be added soon.

Neosho (county seat of Newton county) is part of the Joplin MSA. The far south side of Joplin (including the exits along I-44 and attendant businesses) is in Newton County.

The fact that Neosho is trying to attract NWA customers when its a dozen miles away from Joplin really says a lot.

BTW, the McDonald's is now open in Jane, MO and it sure looks quite busy...