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Gateway Towne Center: I-30 & I-430


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I could see an Applebee's at a Wal-Mart development, they're very popular. As well, expect fast food restaurants.

Wrote Applebee's, meant Apple. See what happens when I post while I'm working?

I agree - restaurants like Applebee's, Red Robin, etc will fit in that development. They talked about an Abuelo's, which I would like to see. I doubt we see anything too upscale like a Cheesecake Factory.

I've been told that Promenade at Chenal is on triple-life support, if not dead already.

Why did they revise the plans on 8/6/06 not to include Dillard's? If it was that sketchy you would think they would've gone ahead and scrapped it altogether. You also have to wonder how the Fellowship announcement will factor in. When that's finished traffic in the area will really increase.

I still think it's a questionable location for a major shopping center. People keep talking about the delays but there haven't really been delays, Rahling construction really just began and that has to be finished before construction on the Promenade could begin anyway.

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Wrote Applebee's, meant Apple. See what happens when I post while I'm working?

I agree - restaurants like Applebee's, Red Robin, etc will fit in that development. They talked about an Abuelo's, which I would like to see. I doubt we see anything too upscale like a Cheesecake Factory.

Why did they revise the plans on 8/6/06 not to include Dillard's? If it was that sketchy you would think they would've gone ahead and scrapped it altogether. You also have to wonder how the Fellowship announcement will factor in. When that's finished traffic in the area will really increase.

I still think it's a questionable location for a major shopping center. People keep talking about the delays but there haven't really been delays, Rahling construction really just began and that has to be finished before construction on the Promenade could begin anyway.

I'm just telling you what I heard about 2 months ago from a source who's in the know. I also think it is very questionable. First of all, what high-end tenants would or could they secure now that Midtowne has Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Harold's, etc....and no Dillards? Second, the location is much too remote and non-central to the general urban population....and the infrastructure/roadway access is horrible. Who will drive another 8 miles past the closest freeway?

Its passing would be fine. Frankly, the lesser the number of pending developments, the more likely the remaining will have to collect a fair number of significant tenants. Otherwise, its overly diffuse...

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I'm just telling you what I heard about 2 months ago from a source who's in the know. I also think it is very questionable. First of all, what high-end tenants would or could they secure now that Midtowne has Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Harold's, etc....and no Dillards? Second, the location is much too remote and non-central to the general urban population....and the infrastructure/roadway access is horrible. Who will drive another 8 miles past the closest freeway?

Its passing would be fine. Frankly, the lesser the number of pending developments, the more likely the remaining will have to collect a fair number of significant tenants. Otherwise, its overly diffuse...

I agree with what you are saying about the location. There are still a hell of a lot of stores that have no locations in LR or only one, in Park Plaza, that would like to get into West LR somewhere. This is especially true of restaurants. Just look at what's coming into the Promenade in Rogers. Right now they have a lot of retail and restaurant offerings LR doesn't because the space simply doesn't exist. I am guessing, though, that RED's involvement in Gateway Towne Center along with Dillard's means that development is replacing the Promenade at Chenal. I'm not really sure the two shopping centers would be bringing in the same clientele, though.

We still don't really have a good handle on which tenants are going into Pleasant Ridge aside from the anchors. I haven't see the tenants I was really expecting to see go to either that shopping center or Promenade at Chenal announced yet.

That property at Rahling is prime in any case. If this development doesn't happen now, it's a matter of time before something big happens there. This may be a case of holding the property for a decade or so when Chenal is completely built out. On the other hand, scaling down the development some and adding office space or apartments/condos might be the answer.

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I agree with what you are saying about the location. There are still a hell of a lot of stores that have no locations in LR or only one, in Park Plaza, that would like to get into West LR somewhere. This is especially true of restaurants. Just look at what's coming into the Promenade in Rogers. Right now they have a lot of retail and restaurant offerings LR doesn't because the space simply doesn't exist. I am guessing, though, that RED's involvement in Gateway Towne Center along with Dillard's means that development is replacing the Promenade at Chenal. I'm not really sure the two shopping centers would be bringing in the same clientele, though.

We still don't really have a good handle on which tenants are going into Pleasant Ridge aside from the anchors. I haven't see the tenants I was really expecting to see go to either that shopping center or Promenade at Chenal announced yet.

That property at Rahling is prime in any case. If this development doesn't happen now, it's a matter of time before something big happens there. This may be a case of holding the property for a decade or so when Chenal is completely built out. On the other hand, scaling down the development some and adding office space or apartments/condos might be the answer.

Yes, you're probably right about numerous tenants that would be new to the market. I guess in general, I think the dispersion of numerous, medium sized developments is going to be a negative in the long run. Its already negative in the short-run is that no one really knows where to go.....unlike the Promenade in Rogers, which is clearly the go-to development in that market. Looks like Gateway may be shaping up as a contender - I still question that locale though. Seems like 40/430 would hold a much better demographic, but the traffic (and population) at 30/430 is significantly greater. Who knows!!!???

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Yes, you're probably right about numerous tenants that would be new to the market. I guess in general, I think the dispersion of numerous, medium sized developments is going to be a negative in the long run. Its already negative in the short-run is that no one really knows where to go.....unlike the Promenade in Rogers, which is clearly the go-to development in that market. Looks like Gateway may be shaping up as a contender - I still question that locale though. Seems like 40/430 would hold a much better demographic, but the traffic (and population) at 30/430 is significantly greater. Who knows!!!???

I know what you mean. Crystal Hill seems like a better site in many ways. However, ultimately the part of the metro underserved by mall access is Saline Co/SW Little Rock. Most of the north Pulaski area is well-served by McCain. I agree about all of these smaller centers, which seems to be the trend in lots of large metros as well. It makes it tough to figure out where to shop. In some ways I wonder if we wouldv'e been better off with the Summit Mall but I don't trust Simon. It was probably better off we didn't. It' still pretty bizarre that before long Little Rock won't have one mall with multiple department stores. Strange stuff.

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I know the developer, and he clearly defined Shackleford Crossing as a "Power Center" - such that this is more mainstream, mid-tier, large box retail. I gathered that there was competition with Pleasant Ridge over tenants, which ultimately determined which was "lifestyle" and which was "power center." Expect some fairly nice tenants, but not Cheesecake Factory, Apple, etc. (as an aside, if Apple doesn't land at Midtowne or Park Plaza, don't expect them in this market at all unfortunately).

I've been told that Promenade at Chenal is on triple-life support, if not dead already.

If its going to be a power center then you are right, we can forget Cheesecake Factory and any other high end retailers that can't get into Midtowne or Park Plaza. There are a lot of those retailers that should be looking into this market. If someone says that Macy's is coming to their development, then we could have hope. Hopefully they will be coming soon to give Dillard's some competetion since Parisian's won't be around long enough to and that they are a national chain now with no stores in the state.

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Did everyone read about the large housing development that is going to be built near Otter Creek in Sunday's Business section. More rooftops to draw more retail to the area. This will definitely help Gateway Towne Center.

I put it on a different thread but it makes both developments more likely to succeed. The developer is Cooper Communities, which developed Bella Vista Village and Hot Springs Village.

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Are they going to place a heavy influence on golf courses through out this new community as well?

I kind of doubt it as it's not a resort community like the others. The theme, Siena Lake, implies a body of water and I don't know if boating, etc will be incorporated the way it is at Hurricane Lakes in Bryant which is really just a few miles down I-30. There are a couple of Lindsay's crappy apartment golf courses out there already but not much else. It might not be a bad idea.

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I put it on a different thread but it makes both developments more likely to succeed. The developer is Cooper Communities, which developed Bella Vista Village and Hot Springs Village.

Can anyone elaborate on this Siena Lake development? I checked the other thread, only saw mention of it. Did the newspaper say or show exactly where it is going in?

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Can anyone elaborate on this Siena Lake development? I checked the other thread, only saw mention of it. Did the newspaper say or show exactly where it is going in?

The paper said it would be 600 homes and would be adjacent to Otter Creek and the new Gateway development. I don't remember specifics but I may not have paid much attention. That's not my part of town and I have trouble with the road layout down there.

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Can anyone elaborate on this Siena Lake development? I checked the other thread, only saw mention of it. Did the newspaper say or show exactly where it is going in?

The article states that Sienne Lake will be on 360 acres on Crystal Valley Road about 3 miles west of Arkansas 5 and I-430 and will be developed by Cooper. The project will take 9-10 years with more than 610 single family homes. The first phase calls for the development of 78 lots. The development will feature an 11 acre lake but will also have a clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts overlooking the lake. These amenities are suppose to be completed in Dec. 07. The homes in the development are to be priced in the low $100,000's

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The article states that Sienne Lake will be on 360 acres on Crystal Valley Road about 3 miles west of Arkansas 5 and I-430 and will be developed by Cooper. The project will take 9-10 years with more than 610 single family homes. The first phase calls for the development of 78 lots. The development will feature an 11 acre lake but will also have a clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts overlooking the lake. These amenities are suppose to be completed in Dec. 07. The homes in the development are to be priced in the low $100,000's

Does anyone know which school district this development will fall into?

Also, low $100,000's? Are these going to be tiny houses? I'm guessing 1200 to maybe 1500SF at that price.

Most of the homes going up right now near otter creek seem to be larger. We looked at an open house on a new 1750 SF home in westfield a few weeks back. I'd guess the development in that area right now is mostly 1700-2100 SF or so.

Edited by Spaceman Spiff
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The article states that Sienne Lake will be on 360 acres on Crystal Valley Road about 3 miles west of Arkansas 5 and I-430 and will be developed by Cooper. The project will take 9-10 years with more than 610 single family homes. The first phase calls for the development of 78 lots. The development will feature an 11 acre lake but will also have a clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts overlooking the lake. These amenities are suppose to be completed in Dec. 07. The homes in the development are to be priced in the low $100,000's

Thanks for the info. I once lived in those Eagle Nest apartments for a summer near there. I didn't realize there was any flat area on that side of Otter Creek.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The LR Planning Commission agenda for next week has been posted, and Gateway Towne Center is one of the items to be considered. The proposal describes an open-air lifestyle center in excess of 1 million square feet. The updated site plan shows a 200,000 square foot Dillards on the far right of the development, which was not specified on the original site plan. Of course, Dillards was the rumored department store anchor, all along. The plan also specifies a theater complex. Included in the plans are maps highlighting traffic flow, which were absent in September. The lack of a traffic study was the main reason the item was postponed until next week.

The planning department staff recommends approval of the item.

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I'm a little surprised about a theater complex being proposed for this site. Arguably the nicest theater in the state is less than 2 miles away.

This happened in Rogers, where a Malco Theatre complex was built in the Promenade mall, which is around 2 miles from the Malco 12 digital screen Towne Centre in Scottsdale Center.

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This happened in Rogers, where a Malco Theatre complex was built in the Promenade mall, which is around 2 miles from the Malco 12 digital screen Towne Centre in Scottsdale Center.

Do both theaters recieve enough business to justify having two? Is the traffic pretty well divided between them?

I forgot that in addition to the Rave, Breckenridge is just another mile or two north. 3 Movie Theaters on a 5 mile stretch of I-430 is a lot for Little Rock.

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Do both theaters recieve enough business to justify having two? Is the traffic pretty well divided between them?

Both are twelve screen theatres that are all digital theatres. The Promenade Malco has only been open for a few weeks, but it's been selling out movies like crazy. The Scottsdale one still does well since it draws more from Bentonville and northern Rogers.

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Do both theaters recieve enough business to justify having two? Is the traffic pretty well divided between them?

I forgot that in addition to the Rave, Breckenridge is just another mile or two north. 3 Movie Theaters on a 5 mile stretch of I-430 is a lot for Little Rock.

Not really. Besides Riverdale - which is the only midtown location when the Park Plaza theater closed (which still baffles me) and Cinema 150 closed - name the number of theaters in Little Rock! That would be only 3: Breckenridge, Rave and Marketplace (independent films). So, even if you built a new theater, you'd only have 3 first-run theaters besides Riverdale in the whole of Little Rock.

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I see Cru's point. I think he doesn't have a problem with the number of theaters, just the location along the 430 corridor (with Rave and Breckenridge). That's too many within a 5 mile radius of each other. And realize there is a movie theater in Benton as well. If this was a midtown location I think most people wouldn't have a problem with it.

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I see Cru's point. I think he doesn't have a problem with the number of theaters, just the location along the 430 corridor (with Rave and Breckenridge). That's too many within a 5 mile radius of each other. And realize there is a movie theater in Benton as well. If this was a midtown location I think most people wouldn't have a problem with it.

Obviously I would prefer, and it would be better if these were spread out. I'm just pointing out that this would NOT be oversaturation for the market.

If you want to see a movie in Little Rock, you're going to go see a movie, and you'll be subject to whereever they are located. It doesn't appear that the number of screens per population will be unreasonable in the least. I wouldn't count Tinseltown in Benton as a true option for those in Little Rock, but it would definetely affect the proposed new theater at Gateway.

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I see Cru's point. I think he doesn't have a problem with the number of theaters, just the location along the 430 corridor (with Rave and Breckenridge). That's too many within a 5 mile radius of each other. And realize there is a movie theater in Benton as well. If this was a midtown location I think most people wouldn't have a problem with it.

I agree. Riverdale needs to be closed, it's outdated. We really need a midtown theater, not another along I-430 so close to Tinseltown in Benton and Rave on Col Glenn. The new theater in the Shoppes at North Hills should pretty well saturate Pulaski Co except for the donut hole in the middle.

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Plans have been submitted to the planning commission and as previously stated the project will be 850,000 SF with a 200,000 SF Dillard's as anchor and an unnamed 50,000 SF junior anchor as well as other junior anchors. The traffic study has been completed as well.

This project looks like it is being fast-tracked.

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