College Avenue Developments

[Mith242]

Here's a pic of the building we've been talking about.

Cool, the link to the picture is working now.

[zman9810]

Yeah, I had to go back and repost it earlier in the morning in order to get it to take. I wonder if UP website goes through a maintenance period early each day so you can't post images- do you know if that is true?

I bet the interior of this building is going to look neat with that dome roof.

[Mith242]

Yeah, I had to go back and repost it earlier in the morning in order to get it to take. I wonder if UP website goes through a maintenance period early each day so you can't post images- do you know if that is true?

I bet the interior of this building is going to look neat with that dome roof.

No, not that I know of. If it has anything to do with UP, I'd say it has more to do with the changes Neo has been making to this newest version of software. After the switch he's been making a number of changes, basically asking people what changes need to be made to make it better. At first it was hard to tell when new posts were made in topics. But that's been taken care of. Hopefully it's getting closer to being what's it's going to be like for a while.

[wmr]

I have heard that a gym has signed a lease for the old Razorback 6 building on College Avenue. If true, this is good news for midtown.

[Mith242]

I have heard that a gym has signed a lease for the old Razorback 6 building on College Avenue. If true, this is good news for midtown.

Thanks for the update. Good to see that building finally being re-used. Seems like that could be a good use for that space. Any idea if an already existing gym is relocating or will this be a new gym? There's a yoga/tai chi center pretty close by there as well.

[zman9810]

There's a Kum n Go station planned for the corner of North College and Township. I believe it's the southwest corner where the Nissan dealer was. Good to see something happening there even if it is only a convenience store.

[Mith242]

There's a Kum n Go station planned for the corner of North College and Township. I believe it's the southwest corner where the Nissan dealer was. Good to see something happening there even if it is only a convenience store.

Yeah it would be nice if it was something larger and more substantial. But hey, it's better than what it is now, nothing.

[mzweig]

There's a Kum n Go station planned for the corner of North College and Township. I believe it's the southwest corner where the Nissan dealer was. Good to see something happening there even if it is only a convenience store.

That is simply the worst name for a chain business that I have ever heard. I cannot believe it it is so bad. The founders must not be from our country or something!

Oh, yeah, BTW, the new Indian/Pakastani restaurant in the former Greenhouse Grille location is horrible. The worst food ever, sterile atmosphere, bad service, etc. WHY cannot someone do a decent Indian restaurant around here??? This one will never make it I am afraid.

Mark

[wmr]

Kum & Go is actually looking to buy the parcel that has the brick building that was most recently Sugar Mountain. The location has bad ingress/egress.

So if approved, the site will tear down an existing building and build a C-store there.

I am hoping that the city will make the design be something better than average. I hate seeing these flat, box, awnings over gas pumps. I wish the city would make them do actual roofs with a pitch over the gas tanks. Those awnings serve as giant billboards that add to the visual clutter.

So hopefully a pitched awning, and lots of trees.

[Mith242]

Kum & Go is actually looking to buy the parcel that has the brick building that was most recently Sugar Mountain. The location has bad ingress/egress.

So if approved, the site will tear down an existing building and build a C-store there.

I am hoping that the city will make the design be something better than average. I hate seeing these flat, box, awnings over gas pumps. I wish the city would make them do actual roofs with a pitch over the gas tanks. Those awnings serve as giant billboards that add to the visual clutter.

So hopefully a pitched awning, and lots of trees.

Okay, so it's the southeast corner rather than southwest corner. Makes sense, I sorta thought that other location was a bit big for a gas station. I do agree it would be nice if gas stations/convenience stores were designed a little nicer. I wonder how well it will do there. While corner spots tend to be prime real estate, it also can be hard getting in and out in some of those locations. But best of luck to them. I'd hate to see it fail and we end up with yet another empty building on College Ave.

[zman9810]

Yeah, thanks for the info on where exactly it's planned to be- I assumed the the SW corner considering how poor the access would be on the SE corner. Makes me wonder if the company has actually been to the site and examined the access situation.

After thinking about...if it were on the SW corner it would probably drive the EZ Mart just down College out of business and we would just trade vacant building for vacant building. That might still happen.

And yes- that is a terrible name for a store. The first time I heard that I thought it was an off-color joke. When I saw it I think I flushed a little.

[aerotive]

Yeah, thanks for the info on where exactly it's planned to be- I assumed the the SW corner considering how poor the access would be on the SE corner. Makes me wonder if the company has actually been to the site and examined the access situation.

After thinking about...if it were on the SW corner it would probably drive the EZ Mart just down College out of business and we would just trade vacant building for vacant building. That might still happen.

And yes- that is a terrible name for a store. The first time I heard that I thought it was an off-color joke. When I saw it I think I flushed a little.

There's one in Springdale too. It is a terrible name. As an aside, this is what happens when slang words end up having the same pronunciation and/or spelling as a more mainstream word. Someone should go back to the 20s and get them to choose another word.

[wmr]

Lots of work being done at the former EZ Mart just north of Evelyn Hills. They have been removing the tanks and gaspumps.

Did this building sell? There's enough room behind it on the parcel for some more parking. It would be great to see a restaurant or something go in there eventually.

[Mith242]

Lots of work being done at the former EZ Mart just north of Evelyn Hills. They have been removing the tanks and gaspumps.

Did this building sell? There's enough room behind it on the parcel for some more parking. It would be great to see a restaurant or something go in there eventually.

I haven't heard anything about that spot. But nice to see some more activity going on.

[thewizard16]

I haven't heard anything about that spot. But nice to see some more activity going on.

Particularly at a site that had become such an eyesore. That's not a beautiful shopping center, but that boarded up gas station out front certainly wasn't helping.

[wmr]

I think Midtown is proving itself to be a steady, reliable restaurant market. I'm realizing that I spend a lot of my discretionary income in that area these days.

Its in transition right now from fast-food drive-thrus and gas stations, but a lot of Fayetteville's best places are now between North Street and Township. I really think its one of the safest investments in town right now.

A Sonic went out of business in the past few years, but they have another one not even a mile up the road on the same street. Other than that, we have all the stuff in Evelyn Hills, including Ozark Natural Foods (which I view to be a midtown anchor of sorts), Mermaid's, AQ, Pesto, Cafe Rue Orleans, Slim's, Foghorns, Savor, and all the lower end and fast food chains as well.

It seems a lot more stable these days than Mall-land as far as turnover.

Its got a little of the Fayetteville character (more than "Uptown" and MLK, IMO), a nice pretty hillside, decent parking, and its really the geographic center of the city now.

[CentralArkansas]

I think Midtown is proving itself to be a steady, reliable restaurant market. I'm realizing that I spend a lot of my discretionary income in that area these days.

Its in transition right now from fast-food drive-thrus and gas stations, but a lot of Fayetteville's best places are now between North Street and Township. I really think its one of the safest investments in town right now.

A Sonic went out of business in the past few years, but they have another one not even a mile up the road on the same street. Other than that, we have all the stuff in Evelyn Hills, including Ozark Natural Foods (which I view to be a midtown anchor of sorts), Mermaid's, AQ, Pesto, Cafe Rue Orleans, Slim's, Foghorns, Savor, and all the lower end and fast food chains as well.

It seems a lot more stable these days than Mall-land as far as turnover.

Its got a little of the Fayetteville character (more than "Uptown" and MLK, IMO), a nice pretty hillside, decent parking, and its really the geographic center of the city now.

I'm certainly not trying to pick on you, but are people really referring to areas in Fayetteville as "midtown, uptown, downtown"?

I really can't put my finger on it, but that drives me up the wall. I guess maybe because I'm originally from Little Rock and I even hesitated to use those terms there (except for downtown), but a town as small as Fayetteville especially doesn't have a true down/mid/uptown.

[Mith242]

I'm certainly not trying to pick on you, but are people really referring to areas in Fayetteville as "midtown, uptown, downtown"?

I really can't put my finger on it, but that drives me up the wall. I guess maybe because I'm originally from Little Rock and I even hesitated to use those terms there (except for downtown), but a town as small as Fayetteville especially doesn't have a true down/mid/uptown.

I haven't heard the term midtown used much yet. But the city is pushing the uptown moniker for the north part of the city. I think a lot of it has to do with the type of people in Fayetteville. The 'hippies' seem to really hate north Fayetteville. They prefer to stay south of Township. At one of the city meetings one of them even commented he could care less what happens in north Fayetteville because he didn't consider that 'Fayetteville'. I guess it may seem silly to divide up the city the size of Fayetteville into many different sections. But in a lot of ways there really are noticeable differences in the city. I often refer to east Fayetteville and west Fayetteville. I think east Fayetteville, which is quite a bit of the city east of College Ave to have it's own vibe. Just as west Fayetteville, everything west of I-540, has it's own feel. Partly because in most cases it's the newest developed part. Developers flocked there to take advantage of the flat land. It certainly has the modern sprawl minded layout. As you said, rather odd to divide up a city this small into so many areas. But I guess Fayetteville isn't a typical city either.

[CentralArkansas]

I haven't heard the term midtown used much yet. But the city is pushing the uptown moniker for the north part of the city. I think a lot of it has to do with the type of people in Fayetteville. The 'hippies' seem to really hate north Fayetteville. They prefer to stay south of Township. At one of the city meetings one of them even commented he could care less what happens in north Fayetteville because he didn't consider that 'Fayetteville'. I guess it may seem silly to divide up the city the size of Fayetteville into many different sections. But in a lot of ways there really are noticeable differences in the city. I often refer to east Fayetteville and west Fayetteville. I think east Fayetteville, which is quite a bit of the city east of College Ave to have it's own vibe. Just as west Fayetteville, everything west of I-540, has it's own feel. Partly because in most cases it's the newest developed part. Developers flocked there to take advantage of the flat land. It certainly has the modern sprawl minded layout. As you said, rather odd to divide up a city this small into so many areas. But I guess Fayetteville isn't a typical city either.

I think "by the mall" is a much more reasonable way to describe what people are calling "uptown." Uptown just seems ridiculous to me - considering there is no true "downtown" to counter "uptown."

I guess it just hits a nerve for me, because the only thing I've found to even remotely dislike about NWA is some of the attitudes. And I would bet, and I could be very wrong (you know what they say about ASSuming), but I'd bet the same people that want to call parts of the city uptown are the same ones that chafe me.

Just let Fayetteville (and NWA, for that matter) be what it is - a wonderful, different, growing college town. No need to use big-city monikers to describe parts of the city when it really doesn't fit.

Anyway, just a mini-rant from me. Not a huge issue, but for some reason it's something that has always made me wince.

[zman9810]

I think "by the mall" is a much more reasonable way to describe what people are calling "uptown." Uptown just seems ridiculous to me - considering there is no true "downtown" to counter "uptown."

I guess it just hits a nerve for me, because the only thing I've found to even remotely dislike about NWA is some of the attitudes. And I would bet, and I could be very wrong (you know what they say about ASSuming), but I'd bet the same people that want to call parts of the city uptown are the same ones that chafe me.

Just let Fayetteville (and NWA, for that matter) be what it is - a wonderful, different, growing college town. No need to use big-city monikers to describe parts of the city when it really doesn't fit.

Anyway, just a mini-rant from me. Not a huge issue, but for some reason it's something that has always made me wince.

I've never heard anyone use the term uptown other than in the newpaper article where it was promoted. I agree that it sounds like an attempt to give an image that doesn't fit- too many fast food places and such for it to fit. I've always heard the mall area referred to as as just that- the mall area. East and west Fayetteville are used but only to describe the geographic location and not to signify anything special. The one name that does fit is the Dickson Street entertainment district- because that one does fit it's use.

[Mith242]

I think the uptown moniker is also being pushed by the Chamber of Commerce. I see where you're coming from. But I guess it doesn't really bug me either. If I'm writing about it it's easier to type uptown than the mall area. So I've mainly switched over for convenience.

[thewizard16]

I think "by the mall" is a much more reasonable way to describe what people are calling "uptown." Uptown just seems ridiculous to me - considering there is no true "downtown" to counter "uptown."

I guess it just hits a nerve for me, because the only thing I've found to even remotely dislike about NWA is some of the attitudes. And I would bet, and I could be very wrong (you know what they say about ASSuming), but I'd bet the same people that want to call parts of the city uptown are the same ones that chafe me.

Just let Fayetteville (and NWA, for that matter) be what it is - a wonderful, different, growing college town. No need to use big-city monikers to describe parts of the city when it really doesn't fit.

Anyway, just a mini-rant from me. Not a huge issue, but for some reason it's something that has always made me wince.

I think the "uptown" label is just plain silly, but I disagree about the downtown label. Dickson street and the square with their historic nature and density I think qualify as a downtown, albeit a small one compared to Little Rock. Most older cities that spread out have a clearly definable downtown area (especially if they have a square), and I feel Fayetteville is no different in that aspect. Downtown is supposed to mean a city's core or main business district, and I'll grant that with the way Fayetteville is spread out along 71 and with the commercial area by the mall, it's hard to say that the square and Dickson are our main business district, but I'm willing to bet most people would identify it as the core of the city. I'll occasionally refer to things as being in East or West Fayetteville, but as mentioned by zman, I only use that label to explain how far something is out, normally. I have a feeling the Chamber is pushing the uptown label because of the elongated nature of the city with two main business areas and some general sprawl commercial in between. (and the way that label is used in Manhattan) But I still think it's dumb, and I don't see that catching on as something people would actually say. I'll stick to "towards the mall" and "towards the square" for my cardinal directions for now.

[wmr]

I'm not sure where I first heard "midtown" used in Fayetteville. I hear it fairly often these days. There are at least a few businesses who advertise themselves on the radio as being in midtown.

There's downtown, South Fayetteville, West Fayetteville, East Fayetteville, "up by the mall". Midtown is better than saying "on College Avenue, between downtown and the mall.

I also hear people here refer to anything south of NWA as downstate. I bet that really makes you cringe.

Its just another name for a neighborhood or general area. I don't know why that would bother anyone. What I consider "Midtown" in Fayetteville is as much of a neighborhood as Hillcrest or whatever else. Midtown, like any other name for an area of the city, identifies a location and saves time. Its easier than saying "near the intersection of College and Sycamore".

[mzweig]

I'm not sure where I first heard "midtown" used in Fayetteville. I hear it fairly often these days. There are at least a few businesses who advertise themselves on the radio as being in midtown.

There's downtown, South Fayetteville, West Fayetteville, East Fayetteville, "up by the mall". Midtown is better than saying "on College Avenue, between downtown and the mall.

I also hear people here refer to anything south of NWA as downstate. I bet that really makes you cringe.

Its just another name for a neighborhood or general area. I don't know why that would bother anyone. What I consider "Midtown" in Fayetteville is as much of a neighborhood as Hillcrest or whatever else. Midtown, like any other name for an area of the city, identifies a location and saves time. Its easier than saying "near the intersection of College and Sycamore".

I live and work in what I consider "downtown Fayetteville." To me, that includes the square, the University area, Washington-Willow neighborhood, Dickson area, and everything close to it. I also have a house at the top of Prospect near College (it was A.L. Trent's house--founder of Wilson Park) and I would still consider it downtown as I can walk to downtown from there. I doubt "midtown" or "uptown" is gonna catch on. We still call 540 "the Bypass" don't forget!

Mark

[CentralArkansas]

I'm not sure where I first heard "midtown" used in Fayetteville. I hear it fairly often these days. There are at least a few businesses who advertise themselves on the radio as being in midtown.

There's downtown, South Fayetteville, West Fayetteville, East Fayetteville, "up by the mall". Midtown is better than saying "on College Avenue, between downtown and the mall.

I also hear people here refer to anything south of NWA as downstate. I bet that really makes you cringe.

Its just another name for a neighborhood or general area. I don't know why that would bother anyone. What I consider "Midtown" in Fayetteville is as much of a neighborhood as Hillcrest or whatever else. Midtown, like any other name for an area of the city, identifies a location and saves time. Its easier than saying "near the intersection of College and Sycamore".

Again...I'm not trying to be demeaning or insulting. I just want to be clear on that before I disagree with your post...I love NWA as much as the next guy. I chose to live here, after all...

...but, I find it patently absurd to say "midtown" in Fayetteville even remotely resembles a neighborhood like Hillcrest in Little Rock. It's just not true. What makes the area between Dickson and the mall a neighborhood? An unnattractive four lane street lined with chain restaurants (mostly fast food) with several cross streets that lead to random strip centers or residential areas? The area has no identity, continuity, or anything of the like. Hillcrest possesses all of thsoe. And I actually think using "midtown" is much more difficult than describing an intersection. It's not as if Fayetteville is a huge place and "midtown" narrows it down at all.

Downstate doesn't bother me at all. After all....that is what it is. I also could understand someone referring to Dickson as "downtown," all though I much prefer just using "Dickson" itself to identify the area. It's the premier entertainment district in the state (and the region, in my opinion), and I like the "Dickson" label as opposed to the manilla "downtown" label.

That's just me, though. It's just a pet peeve of mine, and I'm not really sure why. It just seems that some in the area want to pretend the area is something it's not. I don't get that. We have more than enough here to impress and trying to pretend like we're bigger or whatever, and trying to fit labels where they don't belong just doesn't make sense to me.