Uptown Fayetteville Development Area

[zman9810]

Anyone know what's going on with the former Circuit City building? They've stripped off the old fascia.

In one of the other topics it was posted that it would be a mattress store- I think it was Mattress City.

[aerotive]

In one of the other topics it was posted that it would be a mattress store- I think it was Mattress City.

Thanks.

[comreguy]

Thanks.

Mattress Firm

[Mith242]

I've noticed some initial ground work happening in the lot just south of the Razorback Malco, between Malco and the Mud Creek Trail. Has anyone heard anything about what could be happening there?

[zman9810]

I think that is where Academy Sports is going in. There was some concern about part of it being in the flood plain but I guess they worked it out.

[Mith242]

I think that is where Academy Sports is going in. There was some concern about part of it being in the flood plain but I guess they worked it out.

That's right, thanks for reminding me!

[strmchsr77]

Looks like Specialized Group is trying to Rezone the SW corner of Joyce and Steele from C-2 to C-3.  That is directly across the street from the Malco Razorback 16.  There are not many areas around the city that are zoned C-3.  One area is the Bellafont development on Joyce and Barber was proposing some 12 and 16 story buildings back in the day.  Anyone know what the plans are here?

 

Rezone (SW CORNER OF N. STEELE BLVD. AND W. JOYCE BLVD./CMN BUSINESS PARK, 173): Submitted by SPECIALIZED GROUP for property located at SW CORNER OF N. STEELE BLVD. AND W. JOYCE BLVD. The property is zoned C-2, THOROUGHFARE COMMERCIAL and contains approximately 14.01 acres. The request is to rezone the property to C-3, CENTRAL COMMERCIAL

[wmr]

No idea what is going on there.  I assume it will be multi-family, mixed use.  That zoning allows for high-rise construction.  

[comreguy]

No idea what is going on there.  I assume it will be multi-family, mixed use.  That zoning allows for high-rise construction.  

Bingo

[Mith242]

Looks like Specialized Group is trying to Rezone the SW corner of Joyce and Steele from C-2 to C-3.  That is directly across the street from the Malco Razorback 16.  There are not many areas around the city that are zoned C-3.  One area is the Bellafont development on Joyce and Barber was proposing some 12 and 16 story buildings back in the day.  Anyone know what the plans are here?

 

Rezone (SW CORNER OF N. STEELE BLVD. AND W. JOYCE BLVD./CMN BUSINESS PARK, 173): Submitted by SPECIALIZED GROUP for property located at SW CORNER OF N. STEELE BLVD. AND W. JOYCE BLVD. The property is zoned C-2, THOROUGHFARE COMMERCIAL and contains approximately 14.01 acres. The request is to rezone the property to C-3, CENTRAL COMMERCIAL

I went by there the other day.  I had forgotten that there are some pretty nice views from there.  You could get some really nice views of Fayetteville with a taller building at that location.  

[strmchsr77]

Another Zoning request from C-2 to C-3 for just down the street from the Specialized project.  This is on the North East corner of Van Ashe and Steele which is directly behind the Target store.  This looks to be another high density mostly residential development on over 17 acres. I have not seen the plans on the project so I am certainly interested on what exactly it will be.  C-3 allows for a maximum height of around 84 feet but I don't think the plans for this project are for taller structures.

 

http://wonderstatemedia.com/docs/fayettevillecitycouncil/2015/070715/C3-RZN155075.pdf

[Mith242]

Another Zoning request from C-2 to C-3 for just down the street from the Specialized project.  This is on the North East corner of Van Ashe and Steele which is directly behind the Target store.  This looks to be another high density mostly residential development on over 17 acres. I have not seen the plans on the project so I am certainly interested on what exactly it will be.  C-3 allows for a maximum height of around 84 feet but I don't think the plans for this project are for taller structures.

 

http://wonderstatemedia.com/docs/fayettevillecitycouncil/2015/070715/C3-RZN155075.pdf

Interesting.  I'll be curious to see more of these plans.  Don't think I would have guessed there was 17 acres over there.  I think for some it's still weird to see residential so close to one of the city's main retail spots.  But I've also been hearing about some possible residential going up near Pinnacle Hills area in Rogers as well.  But I think it's a growing trend and have already seen it happened in other cities outside the state.

[wmr]

Seems like Crafton Tull is doing the design work on this project if my memory is correct.  I believe they did the work on the townhouses that sit just across I-49 from Markham Hill in Fayetteville.  I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar to that.  I'd prefer an urban-style block of apartment homes, but residential infill in that area will help it transform into a real neighborhood.  The site abuts the Mud Creek Trail in that area, which is a nice feature to be next to.  Easy bike rides to the Clear Creek Trail and Lake Fayetteville from there.  Walk to movies, restaurants and bars.  Not a bad idea, honestly.

[TRB]

Seems they are concentrated on turning mostly stalled sprawl into.a mixed use, urbanesque corridor.

I'm seeing this happen back home in Germantown, TN. Several projects in the works along and just off Poplar that's mixed use that replaces strip style older development. Germantown saw it as a means to grow after being landlocked.

[formerNWAer]

Pretty interesting -- though Specialized is stepping outside of what you typically see from them. I like the potential of bringing more residents to the area, but the area is far from walkable in its current format. It would take a lot of investment from the city to make me comfortable walking crossing streets in that area on a regular basis. 

 

Maybe Specialized will be investing in some of that crosswalk infrastructure as part of the project? They've contributed to streets in other developments. 

[wmr]

Pretty interesting -- though Specialized is stepping outside of what you typically see from them. I like the potential of bringing more residents to the area, but the area is far from walkable in its current format. It would take a lot of investment from the city to make me comfortable walking crossing streets in that area on a regular basis. 

 

Maybe Specialized will be investing in some of that crosswalk infrastructure as part of the project? They've contributed to streets in other developments. 

 

The area is fairly walkable.  There are sidewalks everywhere along every street and the trail system goes right through the heart of that area.  It isn't a high speed corridor.  Crosswalks installed as the intersections all become signaled will help, but I wouldn't consider it a scary area to walk around right now.  Joggers, cyclists and moms with strollers can all be seen using the trail and the sidewalks there right now.  Add some residential and it will increase.

[zman9810]

Please install a signal at Steele and Van Asche sooner rather than later! Tired of playing chicken with drivers on whether left turn drivers or straight through drivers have the right away.

[strmchsr77]

There are currently quite a few projects in the works for this area of Uptown Fayetteville.  I put together a little list of the projects that are in some phase of development.  

1.)  Construction has begun on what I believe will be some lots for offices just to the west of the Van Asche and Steele intersection.  

2.)  Specialized will begin on it's Uptown apartment/commercial project sometime this year across from the Malco Razorback Theater.  It will have around 300 apartment units and 17,000 sq ft of commercial space.  http://www.specializedreg.com/uptown-fayetteville-apartments/

3.)  Buffalo Wild Wings will be building a restaurant in front of the Malco theater and will be moving from their current location behind McAlister's Deli.  This will give them much better visibility.  

4.)  Watermark Residential is working on getting another large up scale apartment complex moving forward on the NE corner of Van Asche and Steele.  This will be directly behind the Target shopping center.  From what I have read it will have around 500 units.  http://www.watermark-residential.com/

5.)  JJ's will be opening a 2nd Fayetteville location on the SW corner of Van Asche and Steele.  According to the Technical Plat review it will be called JJ's Beer Garden and Brewery.  ftp://ftp.accessfayetteville.org/Published/Development Review/01_Technical Plat Review/Plans/15-5191 02 Site & Utility Plan (LSD-JJ's Brewery).pdf

6.) The NW corner of Van Asche and Steele will be a UARK credit union if I remember correctly.  

I would anticipate that a traffic light will be installed at this intersection sooner rather than later assuming these projects all move forward.  The Van Asche extension to Hwy 112 will more than likely continue to cause this area to grow over the next 5-10 years.  If they would just connect that to I-49, it would help out quite a bit.  

 

[wmr]

Thanks for posting that rundown in this thread.  I forgot this thread existed.

 

Steele will look substantially different 18 months from now.  It looks like, from the plans I've seen, that all of those businesses/housing will butt right up to the street in a more "urban" format, other than the new Buffalo Wild Wings.  The plans for the Watermark Residential property show a "dog park" along part of Steele nearest Mud Creek Trail.  This area will be a real neighborhood soon.  I wonder how this will impact the values of the single-family homes just west of there.  

[strmchsr77]

Tom Terminella will be looking into getting all of the farm land along the Van Asche extension rezoned to a mix of C2, C3, and Urban Thoroughfare in the near future.  There is a total of 185 acres in that area.  This would be a large undertaking but would extend the commercial Uptown area much further west towards I-49 over the next 5-10 years.  It will eventually be a mixed development with high end commercial, restaurants, hotels, offices as well as residential.  My only concern is trying to get to that area from the interstate.  Right now you would have to exit off of Gregg or take the 112 exchange.  An exit at Van Asche would really spur this entire project and help it develop very quickly.    

Attached below is the rezoning map for the area.

Van_Asche_rezone.pdf

[wmr]

Tom Terminella will be looking into getting all of the farm land along the Van Asche extension rezoned to a mix of C2, C3, and Urban Thoroughfare in the near future.  There is a total of 185 acres in that area.  This would be a large undertaking but would extend the commercial Uptown area much further west towards I-49 over the next 5-10 years.  It will eventually be a mixed development with high end commercial, restaurants, hotels, offices as well as residential.  My only concern is trying to get to that area from the interstate.  Right now you would have to exit off of Gregg or take the 112 exchange.  An exit at Van Asche would really spur this entire project and help it develop very quickly.    

Attached below is the rezoning map for the area.

Van_Asche_rezone.pdf

C-3, I believe, is the zoning with the most lenient height restrictions in the city.  If that area can get better access to I-49, that would be a great area for mid-rise offices and maybe some corporate campuses, if Fayetteville ever manages to attract any.

 

I hope that all of the properties adjacent to Van Asche use form-based zoning rather than the C-2 & C-3.  It is easier for the city to guide quality development that way.  There are some restrictions in the form-based code that might be of concern, but I'd rather see those zoning categories used with requests for variances on height, arrangement, etc.  Fayetteville continues to become "bi-polar" with dense development downtown (southside) and denser development uptown (northside).  I'd like to see denser development occur midtown, too.

[RemusCal]

Fayetteville won't attract any major campuses or companies until they decide to actually focus on it.  Stupid ordinances and dividing the city over social issues are not helping the city in any way positive.  They are getting smoked by other cities such as Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville.  They can build all they want, but they have to have businesses that want to be there.  Rogers Pinnacle area is just booming.

 

If Fayetteville ever got its act together, I would love to see more mixed use type of things like you see in Nashville or Dallas.  Highrises with condos above and retail below.    I would like to see more of a planned development rather than a bunch of strip centers and car lots.

[jatello]

It's funny to read what the Fayetteville doom and gloom posters write while knowing that this city has attracted more new residents than any other place in the state for 4 straight years . 1,600  last year alone. The truth is that people want to live here more than these neighboring cities that are 'smoking' us.

[wmr]

I agree with parts of what both of you are saying.  

I don't think city leadership has been effective at encouraging the creation of wealth and jobs in the city.  To me, they seem entirely too focused on socialist causes like "attainable housing" when NWA is literally one of the most affordable metros in the nation.  There is no shortage of inexpensive housing in Fayetteville or in any of the rest of the region.  I'm tired of handwringing over Fayetteville becoming "elitist".  We are far from that ever happening.  We need nice stuff.  We need wealth creation and we need better amenities.  

[nickbenso]

Fayetteville DOES NOT need an area like Pinnacle hills, which is the epitome of sprawl. We need mixed use, tight-knit, dense neighborhoods. I think once the new apartments are built in this area the city should try to differentiate the Steele/Van Asche intersection area from the rest of the Joyce/Mall area. Make an area desirable to renters and the developers will follow with more apartments and retail. I wish something slightly similar to Frisco Square, in Frisco, Texas, could be build somewhere in the Uptown area, maybe on the Van Asche extension.  http://www.friscosquare.com/index.htm  Another good example is the gulch neighborhood in Nashville, TN.    http://www.nashvillegulch.com