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skirby

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I also prefer the local establishments, but that doesn't make all chain restaurants equal.  I would venture to guess most would critique Cheddar's as being on the better side of the list.  I certainly do...

Nothing against your opinion of Cheddars, but diners in Central Arkansas, voting with their pocket books, voted Red Lobster and Olive Garden number one for years. Pretty much of a low bar.

 

Certainly all chains aren't equal. Cantina Larado, P.F.Changs and Macaroni Grill are all decent places to eat. But there are local eateries that are just as good or better.

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Nothing against your opinion of Cheddars, but diners in Central Arkansas, voting with their pocket books, voted Red Lobster and Olive Garden number one for years. Pretty much of a low bar.

 

Certainly all chains aren't equal. Cantina Larado, P.F.Changs and Macaroni Grill are all decent places to eat. But there are local eateries that are just as good or better.

 

Yeah, I agree on Red Lobster and Olive Garden being bottom rung, and I suppose it's not a stretch to compare those two to Cheddar's but Cheddar's is a newer, fresher concept and in my opinion has better food.  Of higher quality chains, I'd add Outback to Chang's and Macaroni Grill (probably Carrino's as well).  To clear any confusion, these don't compare to finer local establishments, which is where we go when we're looking for a higher-rung dining experience.

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone see the article in today's D-G about the new LA Fitness going in Park Avenue? It's going to be almost 50,000 sq. ft. How does that compare to the size of War Memorial (sorry, I'll never call it Jim Dailey)? I know they usually have courts and pools, so it's a whole different league from a 10 Fitness. 

 

Anyone think this could be the end of the city's fitness center?

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Here are the dimension plans for the LA Fitness project:

 

First floor:

http://www.ldiline.com/showpdf.cfm?proj=178189&file=006Arc_A32.pdf&dir=Arc

 

"Mezzanine" level (second floor):

http://www.ldiline.com/showpdf.cfm?proj=178189&file=006Arc_A31.pdf&dir=Arc

 

The exterior (nothing exceptional):

http://www.ldiline.com/showpdf.cfm?proj=178189&file=006Arc_A41.pdf&dir=Arc

 

 

 

It's a pretty impressive center. Pool, saunas, juice bar, basketball and raquetball courts, and a true two story gym feel. I don't think the plans had made their way to this thread yet so I figured I'd share. There are a lot more drawings available, but these seemed like the most interesting. 

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  • 1 month later...

Park Avenue

 

 

 

 

 

On the hill where the old auto service center was.

 

 

 

Pretty attractive structures.  How this fits in with the rest of the development use, aesthetic and scale, I don't know...but nice looking all the same.

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Pretty attractive structures.  How this fits in with the rest of the development use, aesthetic and scale, I don't know...but nice looking all the same.

 

I will say that I'm impressed with how nice the buildings ended up looking, even if I do feel the whole project is still a major missed opportunity for that plot of land. 

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  • 2 months later...

This doesn't really fit here but I see where Dickey's BBQ Pit is opening near 12th and University. I think Say McIntosh's restaurant was there for a while.  It's been a Pepe's Mexican Restaurant.  It's been...well, everything but nothing has really lasted.  

 

http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/eng/planreview/PLUMB/85861.htm

 

Dickey's is a Texas chain that just opened up a place in Benton/Bryant.  

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Now if we can just get Shackleford Crossing built out some... its so empty

 

So Shackleford Crossing is still empty after all these years?  What a waste.

 

I don't live in Little Rock anymore but I do check back here on the developments from time to time.  I do think Little Rock retail, which not long ago was very poor for a city its size, has really come into its own over the past five years (Shackleford Crossings not withstanding).  

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So Shackleford Crossing is still empty after all these years?  What a waste.

 

I don't live in Little Rock anymore but I do check back here on the developments from time to time.  I do think Little Rock retail, which not long ago was very poor for a city its size, has really come into its own over the past five years (Shackleford Crossings not withstanding).  

 

That's not entirely true.  Most all of the big box and out-parcels have been filled, which represents most of the available SF for the development.  While the center "street" section does remain a bit sparse, it's technically running at a modestly successful lease-level overall.

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The old Fausett Building is gone and the Chipolte is going up. I seem to recall that a condition of the redevelopment was a redesign of the SW intersection. It doesn't seem to be the case as the Chipolte is sitting down in a hole and there are no signs of changes to the SW corner. 

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The old Fausett Building is gone and the Chipolte is going up. I seem to recall that a condition of the redevelopment was a redesign of the SW intersection. It doesn't seem to be the case as the Chipolte is sitting down in a hole and there are no signs of changes to the SW corner. 

 

I will have to say that a single, low-scale, low-density parcel at the corner of a MAJOR intersection such as this is a poor use of property, and a bad planning move on the part of the city...though I will admit the amount of land available for both structure and building is quite limited given current (outdated) parking ratio requirements.

 

The old Fausett Building wasn't a beauty, but it did form and define a very nice urban intersection.  It's now "naked" to say the least...

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When I drove through the intersection the other day, the thing that struck me was that the Chipotle building sits on a slight hill from what used to be the parking lot of the Fausett Building.  It looks, to me, odd.  I guess everyone will have to walk up the incline to the restaurant?  I guess they had to do something so the building could be seen from the intersection and not be hidden in the hole. 

 

The Chipotle building is also tucked into the corner of that intersection, too.  There will be no additional lane now or in the future for that intersection unless Chipotle is torn down.

 

I agree that the use of the land could have been much better.  A multi-story building with residences or offices above and Chipotle on the ground floor would have made more sense. 

 

I have never eaten at a Chipotle.  I walked in and it was confusing to me.  I like to choose from a menu.  The menu from Chipotle seemed to be...point and grunt.  Plus...communal tables.   Maybe I'm a snob but I don't want to sit at the same table as the Clampetts and their 15 misbehaving kids.  

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When I drove through the intersection the other day, the thing that struck me was that the Chipotle building sits on a slight hill from what used to be the parking lot of the Fausett Building.  It looks, to me, odd.  I guess everyone will have to walk up the incline to the restaurant?  I guess they had to do something so the building could be seen from the intersection and not be hidden in the hole. 

 

The Chipotle building is also tucked into the corner of that intersection, too.  There will be no additional lane now or in the future for that intersection unless Chipotle is torn down.

 

I agree that the use of the land could have been much better.  A multi-story building with residences or offices above and Chipotle on the ground floor would have made more sense. 

 

I have never eaten at a Chipotle.  I walked in and it was confusing to me.  I like to choose from a menu.  The menu from Chipotle seemed to be...point and grunt.  Plus...communal tables.   Maybe I'm a snob but I don't want to sit at the same table as the Clampetts and their 15 misbehaving kids.  

I saw the site today. Very odd the way all parking will be below the building. And you're right, there is no additional turn lane ever going in there.

 

Chipotle is really good. You just select the meat, then the way you want it, then your toppings. No need to point. However, the menu can be limiting with repeated visits.

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Not that they need another sandwich shop but Park Avenue is getting Arkansas's first Potbelly Sandwich Shop. It is slated for suite 160.  I am not sure where that places it but Panera is #100 and Newks is #180.  I ate at these quite often when I lived in DC so it will be nice to have some locally.

http://www.potbelly.com/Shops/ShopLocator.aspx?PotbellyShopId=516

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Not that they need another sandwich shop but Park Avenue is getting Arkansas's first Potbelly Sandwich Shop. It is slated for suite 160.  I am not sure where that places it but Panera is #100 and Newks is #180.  I ate at these quite often when I lived in DC so it will be nice to have some locally.

http://www.potbelly.com/Shops/ShopLocator.aspx?PotbellyShopId=516

 

Pretty sure that is next to Sprint, I believe there's a gap between Panera and Sprint but there might be one between Newk's and Sprint too. It's a narrow spot but Potbelly is almost always in a really small space so I can see it working. Apparently Park Avenue is now where you go for sandwiches. 

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  • 1 month later...

The old Fausett Building is gone and the Chipolte is going up. I seem to recall that a condition of the redevelopment was a redesign of the SW intersection. It doesn't seem to be the case as the Chipolte is sitting down in a hole and there are no signs of changes to the SW corner. 

I noticed this week-end that new curb and gutters have been finished on the SW corner. Is this is the redesign or just a band-aid? 

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