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Infill projects in downtown Fayetteville


mzweig

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Five Guys usually goes into more regional shopping areas with many big box stores.  Why the Uptown area has not gotten one yet is beyond me.  Also the Burger Shack is 1/4 mile down the road and it's the same concept.

 

Although a Newks would be nice to have in Fayetteville.

 

There's lots of discussion on the Flyer about form-based codes.  I have to agree with some of the sentiments expressed.  Our planners are far too quick to dismiss any attempts at form-based zoning for commercial projects.  The best-looking commercial projects in the city have been form-based.  The Dollar General on South School and the ALDI on MLK  are good examples.  I wish they'd make these out of town companies follow suit.  

 

I visit Boulder about once per year.  Their form-based zoning has transformed some areas that are similar to College Avenue into pedestrian-friendly, good looking areas.  Those areas are very comparable to Fayetteville's commercial areas.  

 

Its a similar-sized city, too.

The problem is that staff and those that push it haven't explained it well and shown real world examples. they have a we know better than you attitude.. About 15 pictures would have helped their case last tues. It's also more expensive.  But when it comes to gas stations, customers want to easily see the pumps to make a determination of length of wait, pump availability and what not. It's a c-store that caters to cars not pedestrians for the vast majority of the folks that patronize it. I also though it was once a big thing on utilities being moved to the rear of new developments but it doesn't seem that's the case these days.

 

A saw a fantastic WalMart rendering for Pass Christian that never happened and they got the standard outlay

 

One idea had apartments and the other with a front store portal mixed with other retail with the normal entrance and parking in the rear.

Ideas06.jpg

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I agree.  Staff needs to use Google and provide examples.  I guess its frustrating that they seem to be fighting the same fight over and over again with the city council and planning commission with every development.  

 

Its a shame that anybody in the city needs to have form-based zoning explained to them at this point, or that there are people working for the city who are opposed to its implementation.

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Here's how I see it. The zoning should have been in place before a development came up with a rezone request. That's on the City. If it's in place Kim and Go could have still bought that but knew the rules before the game started.

I'm from Memphis, I've seen restrictive zoning in place for a long time in places like Germantown. They had four lane streets with medians and bike lanes 30 years ago. They have loosened up over the years. Now you can put a for sale sign in your yard and use colored Christmas lights. But retail is still pretty much brown brick/neutral rock with very minimal signage and only that can be white. Businesses know this going in and it doesn't effect much and boy has it protected property values.

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Here's how I see it. The zoning should have been in place before a development came up with a rezone request. That's on the City. If it's in place Kim and Go could have still bought that but knew the rules before the game started.

I'm from Memphis, I've seen restrictive zoning in place for a long time in places like Germantown. They had four lane streets with medians and bike lanes 30 years ago. They have loosened up over the years. Now you can put a for sale sign in your yard and use colored Christmas lights. But retail is still pretty much brown brick/neutral rock with very minimal signage and only that can be white. Businesses know this going in and it doesn't effect much and boy has it protected property values.

The problem with that is that Fayetteville is attempting to re-zone parcel by parcel.  We are not a master-planned community, so piecemeal is the only way legally to rezone I think.

 

The city has a "future land use" map, which is supposed to guide these types of decisions.  The city can incentivize re-zoning in the planning process, which was much more likely to happen under the previous city administration than the current one.

 

There is no consensus within the city about this type of rezoning, which is a shame.  The city council needs to draw a line somewhere with respect to rezoning.  They just refuse to do it.

 

You hear all kinds of "Rogers and Bentonville are beating us!" type talk.  Well, Rogers and Bentonville are not kicking Fayetteville around because they have looser zoning regulations.  They are doing well because they have job centers. 

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You saw that job center talk in Marsh's comments with Fayetteville so singularly focused on "green" jobs of which so little large scale ones have materialized. Putting all your eggs in the UA incubator basket isn't such a good thing and nanotech sets up permanency in Springdale. As for Rogers getting retail, I maintain that what most of one end gets the other will eventually follow because both ends are still growing. Academy is a classic example. Some many go for the middle like Hanks but that was trend following the model that Mathis Brothers over in Okie helped pioneer. I can see a Costco in the new Springdale overlay or around the Lowell area. Come to think of it, that lot at the Lowell exit is about perfect for something like that.

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  • 2 months later...

Harvey's Hill on Center Street (next to The Cardinal under construction), and Eco Downtown on Lafayette were both re-approved in the Planning Commission meeting last night.

 

Both made changes to their original plans.  Harvey's Hill made a set-back change because of the height restriction ordinance.  Eco Downtown made changes to the facade plan (more traditional) and added a 7-story tower section nearest to Lit Lounge and the Green Room bars along Watson Ave.  In exchange for this, Eco Downtown also modified its set-back from a single-family structure along Lafayette to comply with the updated (and over-reaching, IMO) height restrictions/setback requirements.  

 

Harvey's Hill will accommodate around 400 people.  Eco-Downtown will house closer to 500 people.  

 

Both projects appear to be moving forward at this time.

 

The project along St. Charles (across from the Dickson post office) is also approved, and I found the website for it.  http://www.raelcorp.com/gather-on-dickson.html  This will be another 150+ people living downtown.

 

Including The Cardinal, these four projects represent around 1500 new residents in the immediate area of downtown over the next two years.  Add in those at Sterling Frisco and that is around 2000 new people who are able to walk to businesses in the Dickson/downtown core.  This should spur some more new development.  Its interesting to see.

Edited by wmr
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Thanks for the update WMR!  This is pretty much all good news for the restaurants and shops in the downtown-Dickson area.  I wish I could find some pictures of the changes to Eco Downtown and how it will look now that it is 7 stories instead of 5.  Hopefully it will not get shot down by the city council...

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  • 5 months later...

A few more buildings are under construction in the Mill District.  Here's a new small apt building just north of Greenhouse Grill.  There's a few new modernist homes there, too.

 

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Yeah I've seen those from the Frisco Trail.  I've been seeing those more modern style homes popping up.  There's a number of them around the Walker Park area.  even seen one pop up closer to the university area.  From what I can tell they're just going around utilizing small empty lots that for some reason never had homes built on them.  But in older parts of town, so it's not because of the housing bust a few years ago.  Although I've also been seeing activity pick right back up in those area on the outskirts of town as well.

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I love seeing the infill projects in south Fayetteville and they seem to be quality developments. It seems to be a natural progression of development  for this area of town to fill in and redevelop the properties there. I am concerned that since this has historically been where the lower income residents of Fayetteville have been able to obtain housing that those less fortunate are being priced out of living in the city. I know the City of Fayetteville has made some moves to ensure that affordable housing is available but I wonder if those moves can meet the need for it.

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I love seeing the infill projects in south Fayetteville and they seem to be quality developments. It seems to be a natural progression of development  for this area of town to fill in and redevelop the properties there. I am concerned that since this has historically been where the lower income residents of Fayetteville have been able to obtain housing that those less fortunate are being priced out of living in the city. I know the City of Fayetteville has made some moves to ensure that affordable housing is available but I wonder if those moves can meet the need for it.

I agree.  To be honest I'm not sure why some of these lots remained vacant for so long.  Although I guess at least in the past the south side of the city wasn't the most desirable area of the city to live.  So maybe that played a factor.  But really nice to see these areas being utilized rather than simply adding more sprawl on the outskirts of the city.  They've also been putting in some unique housing in some of these areas.  Especially around Walker Park.  I can't say I'm very familiar with lots of other areas.  But don't think I've really seen this particular type of architecture used a lot.  A much more modern take of housing design yet not really like Marlon Blackwell's modern style either.  I've been curious as to who's been designing some of these projects.

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The large parcel that is just east of the RR crossing on MLK appears to be under contract.  I think that whole parcel is something like 5 acres.  I believe at one time that was slated to be condos.  I wonder if there are plans there and if so what?

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

The Dickson Theater property has sold recently, and the new owners were quoted in the Business Journal that they plan to do something "unique to the region" with the property.  Anybody heard anything?

 

Rumor is that they will be doing a sort of independent film theater (think Ragtag Cinema in Columbia), and the church that meets there regularly on Sundays will continue to do so.  The 'Dickson Street Theater' (existing nightclub) will be gone by early December and major renovations to the building will begin shortly thereafter. Very cool concept but could face some challenges to make a long term go of it with little to no parking nearby on that end of the street. 

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The project along St. Charles (across from the Dickson post office) is also approved, and I found the website for it.  http://www.raelcorp.com/gather-on-dickson.html  This will be another 150+ people living downtown.

 

 

Just noticed this yesterday for the first time but they've broken ground for this project.  Perhaps this has been going on for a little while.  I don't always use the Dickson St Post Office.

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  • 2 months later...

You all should check out our two houses one block off Dickson at 120 W. Spring and 208 N. Church.  Spring is nearing completion.  Church is still in the framing stage but has an optional apartment above the garage and optional pool and poolhouse.  Total value of these two houses is approx. $1.9 million.

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You all should check out our two houses one block off Dickson at 120 W. Spring and 208 N. Church.  Spring is nearing completion.  Church is still in the framing stage but has an optional apartment above the garage and optional pool and poolhouse.  Total value of these two houses is approx. $1.9 million.

 

Sounds like a great project, but 2 houses valued at $1.9MM?  That sounds overpriced and too expensive for Fayetteville.

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Mzweig has built a reputation of quality... the location(s) are also spectacular. Pricy, yes, but I dont think they are priced completely out of the market yet. But then again, he will find out sooner or later where the price gets him.

Also, go by and look at them. I was jogging after church the other day and happened to notice the construction then his sign on one. I would enjoy living there.

Edited by Snaple4
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Mzweig has built a reputation of quality... the location(s) are also spectacular. Pricy, yes, but I dont think they are priced completely out of the market yet. But then again, he will find out sooner or later where the price gets him.

Also, go by and look at them. I was jogging after church the other day and happened to notice the construction then his sign on one. I would enjoy living there.

 

Guys--I have sold a number of houses for $300+ per foot in downtown Fayetteville over the last 10 years.  Yes they are expensive but my costs to buy and renovate to the standard we do them is very high.  Not really worried about the price of either of these two--one is $819K and the other $899K but with optional detached garage apt and pool house with kitchen, bath and FP takes it to $1.1 million. Not a huge market for what we do but it is there.  We just sold a house at Summit Place (not as good as one block off Dickson) that is 1500 sq feet above grade for $393K.  It does have a roughly 500 sq ft partly-finished basement, too, but that is not valued at same $ per square foot.  You want a condo for $300+ per foot or a single family house that is super high quality?  The house usually wins.....

 

Mark

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