Rogers may become a "design center" for the region?

[Thia]

Matt, just a thought but since PB2 and Benchmark (along with others, possibly) are based in Rogers I'm guessing that it's because of the city's proximity to all members of the local business community, whereas Fayetteville, eclectic as it is, is still at the area's southern end and farther away from most of the larger companies.

[masons_dad1]

Both PB2 and Benchmark have been in Rogers for much longer than this region's growth spurt so their business decision to locate in Rogers had little to do with the regional landscape of the 1990s and 2000s that are the focus of most of this forum.

[KJW]

That was on Sunday.

Yesterday there was this little piece in the same paper:

Besides the Benchmark Group, we've discussed Rogers-based PB2 before on these forums.

The U of A has a very good architecture school, no? And just a few counties up the road to the northeast, Drury University of Springfield (which recruits heavily in NWA for students...state Rep. Keven Anderson of Rogers is a DU alumnus who played basketball there) has what it says is the first accredited architecture school in a "liberal arts setting". DU's school is making a name for itself as well.

Hope maybe we'll see a world-renowned "Frank Lloyd Mith" based in Rogers or NWA some day.

[bagelw]

PB2 only built their Home Office in Rogers a couple years ago. There were probably more factors involved than Rogers already being their base of operations when they spent millions on their new Rogers headquarters. PB2 has offices in Rogers, Dallas, Kennedale (?), Chicago and Seattle. PB2's James Zachry, Director of Electrical Design, is a steering committee member of the new Northwest Arkansas branch of the U.S. Green Building Council, located in Fayetteville.

Benchmark Group is currently one of the largest Architectural firms in Arkansas and has a very long list of completed projects, including Wal-Marts among their many clients.

[mcheiss]

Honestly I think it's all a bit of a coincidence. However, Land prices may be one the overlying factor. A lot of this development seems to me like average "community necessities".

[mzweig]

Wal-Mart is the factor to why PB2 and Benchmark stayed in Rogers. Both of these firms have been in downtown all along. PB2 used to own what is now the City of Rogers building near Arvest and Benchmark has several offices all over downtown Rogers. Cheaper real estate is part of the reason these firms new locations are closer to downtown. The other reason is because they are part of the group that wants to keep downtown Rogers thriving and not have everything in the Pinnacle area. Also, these may be the largest architect firms in the state but these firms do very little "design" work in Northwest Arkansas. Wal-Mart is the reason these firms are so large. They are doing work all over the US. In fact, PB2's "design" team (non Wal-Mart related) is in Texas.

[KJW]

Good point. Thanks for the comments. I don't think Rogers, though a nice suburban area it has become, will ever be a design center for the region. Design folks like the funkier, more eclectic areas--not modern suburbia--at least most of them do! One thing I know are architects. I founded the largest management consulting and publishing firm serving the design industry back in 1988 and have worked with tens of thousands of them over the years. And I sit on the Boards today of four good-sized design firms.

[masons_dad1]

1. I don't understand why this thread has hit a nerve like it apparently has. I honestly don't,

So what if Rogers did become a design center for the region? How does that hurt Fayetteville? And why can't said designers just commute from Fayetteville if the latter is such an Arkansas architect's/designers nirvana.

2. I know designers, too. And these folks, located squarely in "modern suburbia" (as opposed to the "older suburbia" of Rogers out near Lake Atalanta and Prairie Creek) are becoming designers of the highest order in their specialty. Why did they locate in Rogers as opposed to Fayetteville?

3. Speaking of Fayetteville, why'd these folks leave their fancy Three Sisters building digs in that town if it's such a great place for designers to work?

4. And speaking of Fayetteville once more, U of A or not, I think it's great how that city is becoming a technology center for the region with all the startups and business incubator projects there. Frankly, I think that's a higher honor for the city than being a would be "design center for the region".

[bagelw]

1. I don't understand why this thread has hit a nerve like it apparently has. I honestly don't,

So what if Rogers did become a design center for the region? How does that hurt Fayetteville? And why can't said designers just commute from Fayetteville if the latter is such an Arkansas architect's/designers nirvana.

[KJW]

1. I don't think Rogers becoming a design center will hurt Fayetteville at all. In the end they are two separate cities growing for different reasons. I am one of those commuters from Fayetteville to Rogers everyday. If Rogers were to become a "design" center then they had better stop what they are doing now and come up with something else. I'm not saying that Rogers is a poorly designed city but I am saying that Rogers has nothing to differentiate itself from any other suburburban area. Go to any major city in the US and there are suburbs very similar to Rogers.

2 and 3. Wal-Mart

You have to realize that these firms may be design firms but their biggest client is still Wal-Mart. There are meetings after meetings with Wal-Mart HQ. You might also notice that other architect firms such as BRR(from Overland Park, KS) and Perkowitz+Ruth(from Southern Cal) now have branch offices in Rogers. Being next door to your biggest money making client has it's advantages.

In all honesty I think the separate cities should all become design centers and do a better job of designing the region as a whole. One of the things that drives me crazy about this area is how all the cities in NWA simply dump all their traffic onto 540. I realize they are working on building other roads (412 bypass for example) but there could still be plenty more done to connect the cities and have better routes for traffic.

[KJW]

The Benchmark building steel is rising and that structure is tall (for northeast Rogers)...that building is going to be quite noticeable in north/northeast Rogers particularly during winter when the trees are clear of foliage.

[mcheiss]

The Benchmark building steel is rising and that structure is tall (for northeast Rogers)...that building is going to be quite noticeable in north/northeast Rogers particularly during winter when the trees are clear of foliage.

[KJW]

Is this off Hudson/102?

[zman9810]

The Benchmark building steel is rising and that structure is tall (for northeast Rogers)...that building is going to be quite noticeable in north/northeast Rogers particularly during winter when the trees are clear of foliage.

[KJW]

I see that the building is going to 118,000 sq. ft. but how many stories is it going to be? Are there any renderings of what it will look like when finished?

[zman9810]

Don't know about on-line resources, but there's a big picture of it on a sign in front of the construction site...I think it will be 4 stories high at least.

[masons_dad1]

Don't know about on-line resources, but there's a big picture of it on a sign in front of the construction site...I think it will be 4 stories high at least.

[hobnob]

Nice article in today's morning news on Downtown Rogers. Here's a few highlights:

"Downtown Rogers may become a "design center," if a program touted by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Rogers goes over with merchants.

Main Street Rogers assessed approximately 200 existing downtown businesses earlier this year and found that 37 of them (nearly 20 percent) already fit the design niche, according to the Chamber. They included antique and estate stores, architecture and design firms, art and furniture galleries and home improvement, design and decor businesses.

An additional 20 businesses represent the arts, dining and entertainment, while 94 businesses offer either services or are professional offices, according to the survey.

Main Street Rogers wants to help attract businesses it thinks will complement downtown Rogers as a design center.

"We already have an extremely strong base as a design destination ..." said Marge Wolf, director of Main Street Rogers. "We need to keep what we have down here, but maybe this is some of the things we need to look at. And once people are downtown, they are going to go into the restaurants."

Main Street Rogers recently obtained a $14,000 state grant to develop "pocket parks," which are small areas in parking lots that can be turned into grassy areas with benches. In addition, the city came up with the money to provide wireless Internet service at Frisco and Centennial parks, Wolf said.

Beth Stephens, senior vice president of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, said economic development hasn't typically been a part of the Main Street Rogers program, but the Chamber hopes to work with Wolf on attracting businesses that "fit with what we've already got downtown."

The Chamber is promoting available downtown space at its Web site and conducting interviews with existing merchants to determine target businesses. So far, the feedback has been positive, Stephens said.

"They've also been pragmatic in that they need to see some results," she said.

Approximately 10 percent of downtown Rogers buildings or storefronts are vacant, according to the Chamber. It describes sale and lease rates as competitive."

[mzweig]

Nice article in today's morning news on Downtown Rogers. Here's a few highlights:

"Downtown Rogers may become a "design center," if a program touted by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Rogers goes over with merchants.

Main Street Rogers assessed approximately 200 existing downtown businesses earlier this year and found that 37 of them (nearly 20 percent) already fit the design niche, according to the Chamber. They included antique and estate stores, architecture and design firms, art and furniture galleries and home improvement, design and decor businesses.

[masons_dad1]

Again, I'm sorry to be negative. I have nothing against downtown Rogers at all and wish them great success. But I have to disagree with what constitutes a "design center." Antique and estate stores, furniture stores, and home improvement stores do not necessarily make a place a design center. That's like saying Huntsville Road in Fayetteville is a design center because we have a lot of antique stores (i.e., flea market stores). It's just the chamber of commerce and the main street revitalization folks looking for a way to position downtown Rogers as SOMETHING so they can attract businesses there and rent out their space.

[NWAboom]

It does take a lot more than indoor flea markets (Rogers has plenty) to make a design center and that's why Rogers is touting "design center"; because there is so much more than flea markets in downtown Rogers. I'm not too sure about Hunstville Road in Fayetteville, but I doubt there's much more than flea markets there. I believe if you reread the article you will notice that Rogers is trying to attract businesses to "complement" the existing "design center" amenities. The existing parks and the future "pocket parks" will only add to the enjoyment of visiting downtown Rogers. There is HUGE potential in downtown Rogers for becoming a very popular shopping and dining locale if the right cards are played. Rogers is already pretty popular, but to grow it will need to do it without the obvious support a large University that has benefitted downtown Fayetteville for many years.

[masons_dad1]

Rogers does not have a large enough Gay population to be the design center of NWA, Duh!!!!

[NWAboom]

No, Fayetteville would definitely win the title of "design center" if that "personal" preference was a factor.

[masons_dad1]

Oh, but it is a factor. It's science. Homosexuals are genetically programmed to have better taste than heterosexuals. You can't argue with science.

[zman9810]

The Benchmark building steel is rising and that structure is tall (for northeast Rogers)...that building is going to be quite noticeable in north/northeast Rogers particularly during winter when the trees are clear of foliage.