The new Downtowns of Fayetteville and Rogers?

[Snaple4]

So we have our Mall District in North Fayetteville and the Pinnacle District for Rogers. Are we pulling up new Downtown/Commercial Districts and creating Old/Historic downtown Districts?

I guess Rogers would be more in question on this. It seems to have a more Downtown feel in the Pinnacle area, especially on the Western side of 540. Just thought I would ask what people think?

Also, take a look at the first post on the Pinnacle thread. Notice any difference from that rendering and the actual thing? I like the render better, no road through the middle.

[zman9810]

So we have our Mall District in North Fayetteville and the Pinnacle District for Rogers. Are we pulling up new Downtown/Commercial Districts and creating Old/Historic downtown Districts?

I guess Rogers would be more in question on this. It seems to have a more Downtown feel in the Pinnacle area, especially on the Western side of 540. Just thought I would ask what people think?

Also, take a look at the first post on the Pinnacle thread. Notice any difference from that rendering and the actual thing? I like the render better, no road through the middle.

[jiggyK]

IMO, no. Both are surburban sprawl instead of new downtowns. Neither have even remotely the characteristics of what make a true downtown area. The Pinnacle Hills/ Shoppes area has a Las Colinas feel of a dense surburban area but only the central area of Fayetteville has any semblance of a true urban core in NWA. That is why there is such a strong discussion on what the future of that area is to be.

Should the central part of Fayetteville be kept as a museum piece that is a relic of the past or will it continue to be the growing,vibrant center of a modern community? I remember when central Fayetteville was a decaying area that encouraged growth such as the mall area to develop. Dickson Street was a place for many to avoid. The square was in miserable shape. To think that central Fayetteville can stop in time and remain as it is now is is foolhardy. The central part of town needs to continue to grow and mature as great cities have done through the ages.

For anyone to think that you can keep Dickson Street or downtown as it is now without having further developement is ignoring reality. The area is already not a historic district, too much development has already taken place to view it that way. The attempts to squash development in this area against demand for it will only drive up the price of property and future improvements to the area. Those artifically caused higher prices and the higher property taxes they incure willl lead, in the long run , to a decaying central part of town.

[Snaple4]

Thank you two for the replies. And thank you for the link as well, that is helpful. But the purpose of the post was not to start a new topic on the historic district that has been proposed but more to inquire about how it seems that we are starting to develop these areas in a way that is highly commercialized and becoming more dense than the surrounding areas. Zman started to hit on what I was asking about in the first half of his post.

[jiggyK]

Thank you two for the replies. And thank you for the link as well, that is helpful. But the purpose of the post was not to start a new topic on the historic district that has been proposed but more to inquire about how it seems that we are starting to develop these areas in a way that is highly commercialized and becoming more dense than the surrounding areas. Zman started to hit on what I was asking about in the first half of his post.

[zman9810]

This discussion hasn't gotten the attention it deserves- sorry for helping get it off topic.

I think (or at least hope) that downtown areas that have the dense grid pattern of downtown Fayetteville will become the new norm for future urban development. The sad fact is that using the word urban for some is cause for extreme opposition to any development. Of course, the definition of the word simply means within a city- not creating a new Manhattan. If you have to walk any distance to it instead of driving and parking as close as possible then it is unwanted.

Having aspects like a pedestrian centered environment with public transportation and compact design including residential use is essential for a downtown- neither of which the Fayetteville mall area or SW Rogers has. I don't mean to attack the Pinnacle mall directly but it's design in general is typical of the attempts to recreate a downtown atmosphere and it fails completely. It's not just that mall but many across the country. If you have to drive to an area in order to walk the streets resembling a small downtown area it is a surburban development, not a true downtown.

Not to restart the historic district debate here but I sincerely hope that the the future of Fayetteville's central area includes more dense development that will include the possiblity of a trolley or some such public transportation. The ideas of some that the city center should stop it's development as it is will lead to more suburban sprawl or worse to little more economic development at all.

[Mith242]

This discussion hasn't gotten the attention it deserves- sorry for helping get it off topic.

I think (or at least hope) that downtown areas that have the dense grid pattern of downtown Fayetteville will become the new norm for future urban development. The sad fact is that using the word urban for some is cause for extreme opposition to any development. Of course, the definition of the word simply means within a city- not creating a new Manhattan. If you have to walk any distance to it instead of driving and parking as close as possible then it is unwanted.

Having aspects like a pedestrian centered environment with public transportation and compact design including residential use is essential for a downtown- neither of which the Fayetteville mall area or SW Rogers has. I don't mean to attack the Pinnacle mall directly but it's design in general is typical of the attempts to recreate a downtown atmosphere and it fails completely. It's not just that mall but many across the country. If you have to drive to an area in order to walk the streets resembling a small downtown area it is a surburban development, not a true downtown.

Not to restart the historic district debate here but I sincerely hope that the the future of Fayetteville's central area includes more dense development that will include the possiblity of a trolley or some such public transportation. The ideas of some that the city center should stop it's development as it is will lead to more suburban sprawl or worse to little more economic development at all.