College Avenue Developments

[aerotive]

I fully support reducing curb cuts as much as possible. That area around North/Garland that thewizard16 referenced has too many, I've written here before about how there's just too much going on at that

spot. Maybe that's one reason that station died. The area around Wedington and Steamboat is another one of my least favorite areas.

Now if the lot on North really really would have been redeveloped if they got their curb cuts, and they did everything else right and up to standards, maybe give them an exception. Maybe.

Speaking of sketchy EZ Marts, the one on Leverett is the only gas station in the area where I've had guys beg for money, and the only one where a working girl has propositioned me (declined both).

[thewizard16]

I fully support reducing curb cuts as much as possible. That area around North/Garland that thewizard16 referenced has too many, I've written here before about how there's just too much going on at that

spot. Maybe that's one reason that station died. The area around Wedington and Steamboat is another one of my least favorite areas.

Now if the lot on North really really would have been redeveloped if they got their curb cuts, and they did everything else right and up to standards, maybe give them an exception. Maybe.

Speaking of sketchy EZ Marts, the one on Leverett is the only gas station in the area where I've had guys beg for money, and the only one where a working girl has propositioned me (declined both).

I like that you specify you declined . I actually live near that sketchy EZ Mart (not so affectionately coined "Sleazy Mart" by myself and a few neighbors), and I never go there anymore for those very reasons. The only chain of gas stations I've ever been really impressed with is QuikTrip. I was in Kansas City recently and had never seen a gas station so clean and legitimately store-like inside as the QuikTrip in north KC I stopped at. Their Tacquitos and Corn Dogs aren't half bad either. At any rate, if we could attract a "classier" style station that had a more permanent feel to it than these little sheet metal or cracker-box sized gas stations, I'd probably be more inviting to the idea.

[wmr]

I stopped by the site of the new World Gym on College Avenue. I saw their plans and it appears they aren't using the side facing College for retail. Their plans indicate that that area will be used for outdoor recreation, with basketball courts out there. That sounds kind of cool to me, driving down College and seeing a basketball court full of activity out there. I'm sure it will be for members only, though.

Their plan is to be open July 5th.

[wmr]

Something is going on at the McDonald's on North College. There's a sign out front that says LSD-3576. I noticed that the gym next door appears to no longer be listed for sale. Anybody know exactly what is going on there? I imagine that McDonald's is going to expand and renovate. Another facelift for a midtown property is welcome news.

[mzweig]

They are tearing down that McDonald's and putting an all-new one in its place!

Mark

[Mith242]

They are tearing down that McDonald's and putting an all-new one in its place!

Mark

Thanks for the info.

[wmr]

Thats great to hear. The new one, no doubt, will be more in line with City Plan 2025. The current site has no trees, and sets back from the street a lot. When you look around on College Avenue between Township and Dickson, there really has been a lot of redevelopment in the past 5 years. When Arvest gets busy on the former site of the car lot at Township and College, that will be one more redeveloped lot. "Midtown" is renewing at a good rate.

[mzweig]

Thats great to hear. The new one, no doubt, will be more in line with City Plan 2025. The current site has no trees, and sets back from the street a lot. When you look around on College Avenue between Township and Dickson, there really has been a lot of redevelopment in the past 5 years. When Arvest gets busy on the former site of the car lot at Township and College, that will be one more redeveloped lot. "Midtown" is renewing at a good rate.

That's a good point I hadn't thought of. I would be the new McD's will be closer to the street and have some planting. The City will force them to do it. Good! We need more "nice" on this ugly section of road!

Mark

[Mith242]

Yeah, usually I can't say I'd be excited about a McDonald's. But we are talking about College Ave here. And like you guys said, the new building will be improved over the old one. And like WMR mentioned, another project to help improve that section. Maybe it might even eventually help get some of the other nearby empty properties active. I know the old LJS is still empty. Is that building just to the north of McDonalds have anything in it right now?

[wmr]

Yeah, usually I can't say I'd be excited about a McDonald's. But we are talking about College Ave here. And like you guys said, the new building will be improved over the old one. And like WMR mentioned, another project to help improve that section. Maybe it might even eventually help get some of the other nearby empty properties active. I know the old LJS is still empty. Is that building just to the north of McDonalds have anything in it right now?

I think the redevelopment of McDonald's might include the gym building that is just north of it. I noticed that it is no longer being advertised for sale. I believe at one point that building housed the play area for that McDonald's, but was later converted into a 24 Hr fitness place. The next building north is Cheers which seems to be a decent establishment. Its open as far as I can tell. The Cheers crowd seems to be older and more mature. I hear nary a peep out of that place, while its earlier incarnations seemed to be a real nuisance with weekly fights and even an instance of gun violence.

Subway is going into the old Quizno's space across the street, and it appears the EZ Mart store is being prepped for some kind of redevelopment. They removed those gas tanks a while back and I don't think there's a for sale sign there anymore.

Another development is that the old house behind the now closed Gypsy which was once a mini golf place is going to be an independent garden center of some kind.

World Gym will open in July, so there's a lot of new happening on that stretch of College recently.

[mzweig]

Yeah, usually I can't say I'd be excited about a McDonald's. But we are talking about College Ave here. And like you guys said, the new building will be improved over the old one. And like WMR mentioned, another project to help improve that section. Maybe it might even eventually help get some of the other nearby empty properties active. I know the old LJS is still empty. Is that building just to the north of McDonalds have anything in it right now?

John Nock owned that McDonald's annex there. Maybe he sold it back to them? I hope so. That would give them a chance to do more with a bigger site.

M

[Mith242]

I think the redevelopment of McDonald's might include the gym building that is just north of it. I noticed that it is no longer being advertised for sale. I believe at one point that building housed the play area for that McDonald's, but was later converted into a 24 Hr fitness place. The next building north is Cheers which seems to be a decent establishment. Its open as far as I can tell. The Cheers crowd seems to be older and more mature. I hear nary a peep out of that place, while its earlier incarnations seemed to be a real nuisance with weekly fights and even an instance of gun violence.

Subway is going into the old Quizno's space across the street, and it appears the EZ Mart store is being prepped for some kind of redevelopment. They removed those gas tanks a while back and I don't think there's a for sale sign there anymore.

Another development is that the old house behind the now closed Gypsy which was once a mini golf place is going to be an independent garden center of some kind.

World Gym will open in July, so there's a lot of new happening on that stretch of College recently.

Yeah certainly nice seeing some activity on College Ave. Of course there's a lot more work to be done. But this is certainly a nice start to try to get the ball rolling.

John Nock owned that McDonald's annex there. Maybe he sold it back to them? I hope so. That would give them a chance to do more with a bigger site.

M

Yeah gives McDonalds more options and also frees up some money for Nock that will hopefully get him in a better position to do something with the Cosmo.

[thewizard16]

That's good news about the McDonalds, that current one is really run down looking. (So is the gym next to it). I noticed some activity around the old EZ-mart, another property eyesore in need of redevelopment, so I hope something is going on with that. One building on that stretch I don't understand why hasn't had something done to it is the old AT&T cellular outlet (and I think, a Long John Silvers or something similar before that). It's another decrepit looking building in that short stretch that doesn't help the perception of College Ave. out much.

I'm hoping that the VA Expansion and the UAMS Northwest location (and planned expansions that will run into future decades) will help give College a shot in the arm as far as far as appeal and viability for future business developments go.

[Sequoia Payroll]

glad to hear they are tearing down the ghetto McDonalds and building a new one. The city really needs to do something with that whole stretch of 71. There are a few nice buildings along the way, but there are a whole lot of older buildings (most already mentioned) that need a face lift. A lot of action over at the old razorback theater, I am sure that the world gym will be a whole lot better than where it is now. I wish they would put in a lap pool. There is plenty of room there, but I heard no dice.

Still a whole lot of empties on college, Hopefully the newer projects will inspire others...

[wmr]

I'm told the World Gym project includes about 20 new red maples to be planted along Green Acres rd and College Avenue. The area doesn't have much greenery right now and that will help the look of that section of College Avenue into the future.

Some may not get excited about trees, but I sure do.

[Mith242]

I'm told the World Gym project includes about 20 new red maples to be planted along Green Acres rd and College Avenue. The area doesn't have much greenery right now and that will help the look of that section of College Avenue into the future.

Some may not get excited about trees, but I sure do.

Oh yeah, that's good news. Especially when we're talking about College Ave. And in more particular that general area of College Ave. 'Little things' like that I think add more than what you might initially think.

[wmr]

RE: McDonald's. While driving by there today, I noticed (for the first time) that they actually own the parking area south of their biulding as well. Those two lots combined with the lot that houses the old gym, if they also own it, make up a big parcel right there.

I have checked on the city website and I can't find on any of the agendas where a design for that LSD went through. Perhaps it was one of those that didn't have to go to the council/planning commision because it met all of the criteria for administrative approval.

Anybody got any information on that?

As an aside, I'd like to see a Zweig commercial redevelopment. Midtown makes good sense as far as price of real estate and visibility go.

[Mith242]

As an aside, I'd like to see a Zweig commercial redevelopment. Midtown makes good sense as far as price of real estate and visibility go.

Good point. Has there ever been a Zweig commercial development? It would be interesting to see.

[zman9810]

RE: McDonald's. While driving by there today, I noticed (for the first time) that they actually own the parking area south of their biulding as well. Those two lots combined with the lot that houses the old gym, if they also own it, make up a big parcel right there.

I have checked on the city website and I can't find on any of the agendas where a design for that LSD went through. Perhaps it was one of those that didn't have to go to the council/planning commision because it met all of the criteria for administrative approval.

Anybody got any information on that?

As an aside, I'd like to see a Zweig commercial redevelopment. Midtown makes good sense as far as price of real estate and visibility go.

You hit upon an important change in City of Fayetteville policy- Planning Commission agendas are no longer published in the local newspaper and neither are City Council agendas. In order to know what is going on in city planning affairs one has to search the city website to find out. While not publishing the planning notices in the newspaper may save the city a small amount the cost to the city residents in not knowing what is going on in their city is much higher. It results in a lack of openness in city government and discourages public participation in the planning process. Between the reduction in coverage of city meetings by the merged newspapers of NWA and the end of City of Fayetteville planning notices being published the Fayetteville community is being left in the dark.

It needs to be noted on whose watch the lack of openness in Fayetteville city government affairs took a huge turn for the worse.

[wmr]

I drove by the World Gym spot at lunch today and they have planted dozens of trees there. Looks like some Maples and several Pines as well as shrubs. Looks like they'll have quite a forest if they all survive this heat! I hope they plan on watering them some to get through this hot spell.

In a few years when those things mature a little, they'll really improve that side of College Avenue.

[mzweig]

Good point. Has there ever been a Zweig commercial development? It would be interesting to see.

There has not been and may never be unless I could get an amazing deal on an interesting property that I can redevelop and resell. I don't want to hold anything--I just like to redo and resell. I cannot park my money and don't enjoy the role of landlord!

BTW--y'all should check out my two new projects on 202 and 210 W. Lafayette. We just cleared 40 years of non-yard maintenance and stripped off all asbestos siding to reveal their original facades.

M

I drove by the World Gym spot at lunch today and they have planted dozens of trees there. Looks like some Maples and several Pines as well as shrubs. Looks like they'll have quite a forest if they all survive this heat! I hope they plan on watering them some to get through this hot spell.

In a few years when those things mature a little, they'll really improve that side of College Avenue.

I hope those fare better than the Christmas trees that had planted out there after the last renovation of that building.....they all died!

M

[Mith242]

I hope those fare better than the Christmas trees that had planted out there after the last renovation of that building.....they all died!

M

Yeah not sure if we have the best climate for that. Although if you really put a lot of attention in it, I imagine you could do it.

[Mith242]

There has not been and may never be unless I could get an amazing deal on an interesting property that I can redevelop and resell. I don't want to hold anything--I just like to redo and resell. I cannot park my money and don't enjoy the role of landlord!

BTW--y'all should check out my two new projects on 202 and 210 W. Lafayette. We just cleared 40 years of non-yard maintenance and stripped off all asbestos siding to reveal their original facades.

That's too bad, but I can certainly understand your feeling on that. I recall seeing something going on over on Lafayette. But I may be thinking of another house. I think someone put in a new one a little bit further down by the Post Office. I sometimes go down Lafayette on my way to the Post Office. I just remember seeing work done on a house near there and then wondering if I had recalled even seeing a house at that spot. Maybe one of the houses had a bigger yard or an old house that was torn down years ago?

[mzweig]

Yeah not sure if we have the best climate for that. Although if you really put a lot of attention in it, I imagine you could do it.

Lots of water but lots of heat comes off that adjacent pavement....

M

[wmr]

I guess its considered College Ave. Does anybody know what is going on at the Big Lots location in Fiesta Square? It looks like they are building a new storefront between Big Lots and Hastings.