Bentonville, Arkansas

[aerotive]

I know that import makes do less well the farther you get from the coasts and big cities. I would think that would motivate the dealers in Tulsa, Springfield, and LR to strongly lobby against a new dealership on the periphery of each of their regions.

Edited June 15, 2010 by aerotive

[Mith242]

I know that import makes do less well the farther you get from the coasts and big cities. I would think that would motivate the dealers in Tulsa, Springfield, and LR to strongly lobby against a new dealership on the periphery of each of their regions.

Our location might have something to do with it as well. Being located somewhat near other established metros.

[KJW]

1. There are now signs indicating a new BMW dealership (south side) and Cadillac dealership (north side) will be built on either side of the aforementioned new Mercedes dealership in Bentonville.

2. The Bentonville schools web site now says that Bentonville High has 3,572 students. How big is that? Well, if BHS were uprooted and moved to Texas, it would be around the 18th biggest high school in that state. Amazing.

(On a high school note showing how competitive NWA is becoming, this fall, local schools in football will play St. Louis- (Bentonville, for the third straight year, O'Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West; Fayetteville, St. Louis Parkway West) and Dallas-area (Bentonville, Texarkana Texas High (in a district with many D/FW area schools); Shiloh Christian, Euless Trinity) high schools.

And not just ANY St. Louis and Dallas-area schools. Fort Zumwalt West was ranked as high as #1 in the St. Louis area (Missouri-side) two years ago when BHS beat them. Texas High won the Texas 4A state championship in 2002. Euless Trinity has won something like THREE Texas 5A state championships since 2006.

Think we'd have seen this happen even 10 years ago?)

Edited August 20, 2010 by KJW

[Mith242]

1. There are now signs indicating a new BMW dealership (south side) and Cadillac dealership (north side) will be built on either side of the aforementioned new Mercedes dealership in Bentonville.

2. The Bentonville schools web site now says that Bentonville High has 3,572 students. How big is that? Well, if BHS were uprooted and moved to Texas, it would be around the 18th biggest high school in that state. Amazing.

(On a high school note showing how competitive NWA is becoming, this fall, local schools in football will play St. Louis- (Bentonville, for the third straight year, O'Fallon Ft. Zumwalt West; Fayetteville, St. Louis Parkway West) and Dallas-area (Bentonville, Texarkana Texas High (in a district with many D/FW area schools); Shiloh Christian, Euless Trinity) high schools.

And not just ANY St. Louis and Dallas-area schools. Fort Zumwalt West was ranked as high as #1 in the St. Louis area (Missouri-side) two years ago when BHS beat them. Texas High won the Texas 4A state championship in 2002. Euless Trinity has won something like THREE Texas 5A state championships since 2006.

Think we'd have seen this happen even 10 years ago?)

Hasn't there been some talk of splitting the Bentonville high school in the near future like Springdale and Rogers? Sounds like enrollment is up just about everywhere in NWA.

[wmr]

I just had a few thoughts I thought I'd put here.

For a community that I thought saw itself as something different or "high end" for NWA, Bentonville sure has let itself get really ugly.

I was up there the other day and I was struck by how incredibly ugly Walton Boulevard has become. Its sad. With even a little forward thinking, the street could have looked much better. Most of the development along Walton between Rainbow Curve and 540 has taken place over the last 10 years. Fayetteville has been regulating signage for 30 years, and landscape requirements for 20 years. Its not like Bentonville didn't have a decent local example to follow.

Walton Boulevard is no better looking than Sunset in Springdale to me. Its sad. The growth was going to happen regardless of restrictions and zoning and better ordinances. The real face of Bentonville is now giant, ugly signs of varying heights and enormous proportions. It appears to have more strip malls than probably any other place in the USA per capita.

I'm disappointed at how Bentonville has grown without any apparent guidance from its planning department.

Edited March 18, 2011 by wmr

[thewizard16]

I didn't see anyone post this yet, but back on the subject of the 21c Hotel, ground was broken on Tuesday:

http://www.nwaonline...aks-ground-21c/

I have to admit, I'm quite underwhelmed by the rendering of the project. Even if the interior is particularly nice, the exterior design of the hotel is not something I'd qualify as timeless or architecturally distinctive, which are characteristics I had hoped for with such a significant project. Here is the picture of the rendering from the article:

And some quotes from the article about the building:

Onlookers gathered around artist renderings of the boutique hotel, taking in the contemporary building with its clean, rectangular lines augmented by rows of trees and the hotel’s signature red penguins. The 100,000-square-foot property will feature 104 guest bedrooms, gallery space, a restaurant, a ballroom and meeting rooms. Galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden will incorporate works by living artists and will be free to the public.

Each 21c Museum Hotel is a unique creation designed to fit into the surrounding landscape, Berke said.

“We hope to show that contemporary architectural ideas can be incorporated into the city and add to its character,” Berke said. “We’d like people to see that you don’t have to imitate the past.”

I appreciate good contemporary architecture, but I have to disagree with Ms. Berke on this project. I don't see her building as blending especially well with the existing downtown Bentonville or being unique or interesting enough to "add to its character". Although Bentonville did not have the existing historically significant buildings to renovate for a hotel like they did in Louisville, I think they could have done better for the design of a new building that is supposed to be a new icon for downtown Bentonville.

[Mith242]

I didn't see anyone post this yet, but back on the subject of the 21c Hotel, ground was broken on Tuesday:

http://www.nwaonline...aks-ground-21c/

I have to admit, I'm quite underwhelmed by the rendering of the project. Even if the interior is particularly nice, the exterior design of the hotel is not something I'd qualify as timeless or architecturally distinctive, which are characteristics I had hoped for with such a significant project. Here is the picture of the rendering from the article:

And some quotes from the article about the building:

I appreciate good contemporary architecture, but I have to disagree with Ms. Berke on this project. I don't see her building as blending especially well with the existing downtown Bentonville or being unique or interesting enough to "add to its character". Although Bentonville did not have the existing historically significant buildings to renovate for a hotel like they did in Louisville, I think they could have done better for the design of a new building that is supposed to be a new icon for downtown Bentonville.

Yeah I also have to agree I was underwhelmed by the rendering. As you said, the interior might be very nice. But I was expecting a little more from the exterior for a hotel like this. Perhaps the actual building will turn out better that what's shown in the rendering.

[ash72704]

I hope there's more to it than meets the eye. Sorry if this offends anyone, but when I first saw it I thought "If it were painted beige I'd swear it was a Hampton Inn".

[thewizard16]

I hope there's more to it than meets the eye. Sorry if this offends anyone, but when I first saw it I thought "If it were painted beige I'd swear it was a Hampton Inn".

You're right. It looks a lot like a newer Hampton, or even the newest Holiday Inn Express hotels if it were painted beige.

[RemusCal]

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/hottest-travel-destinations-of-2012/13

Congrats to Bentonville for being rated as the Top 2012 Must See Destinations in Travel & Leisure. It was the ONLY U.S. city listed in the top destinations! The impact on the local economy and on becoming a world class destinations will bring in lots of new retailers, and help stimulate the local economy. This is really great news!

[Mith242]

http://www.traveland...ions-of-2012/13

Congrats to Bentonville for being rated as the Top 2012 Must See Destinations in Travel & Leisure. It was the ONLY U.S. city listed in the top destinations! The impact on the local economy and on becoming a world class destinations will bring in lots of new retailers, and help stimulate the local economy. This is really great news!

You beat me to it. Just noticed that myself and came over here to post it.

[Julles]

Does anyone know what's going up next to McDonalds in north Bentonville/south Bella Vista (next to Lowe's)? They are moving dirt and it looks to be a larger space than McDonalds occupies. That's our neck if the woods, and I'm curious.

[KJW]

Hey, Julles - good to talk with you again. Saw the same thing at the window when picking up a meal for my family - the girl at the window said they'd heard it was a physician's office.

[Julles]

Thanks, KJW, nice to talk to you again too. Thanks for the info. I was hoping for a Starbucks or Panera........Dream on, right? . I will be excited if it turns out to be my physician.

[KJW]

- Man...houses, houses, HOUSES!!!! I visit west Bentonville and houses seem to be going up everywhere. Perhaps not quite at the rate of the boom years of '02-'04, but it seems close. Along Airport road Sunday I saw a group of Hispanic men who seemed to be planting stakes along the ground for yet another subdivision...I couldn't tell what they were doing at first as there were so many.

- Remember this intersection "Bright and Gator" (a roundabout, no less). It's brand new, but will be one to stay away from by this time next year as it's squarely between a brand new middle school and brand new junior high in southwest Bentonville. Sure looks to me that next August it will instantly become one of Bentonville's busiest.

- Sold an item on craigslist to a couple living in the Links apartments off Moberly in Bentonville. The asian population growth here is astounding...it looked literally on an early summer night like every resident in that sizeable complex was of Indian descent. Not complaining, just noting. Saw an article recently that broke down the rates of foreign workers analyzed by multiple categories. I think NWA was something like 6th in the nation in terms of percentage of workers on temporary visas, and the IT community here is largely responsible for that in this point in time. Fascinating to see the changes here. Speaking of new people:

- Better late than never on this news (especially after last month's millage rejection). Bentonville has over 1,000 new students projected in the district, about twice what they were expecting. There's a good chance they'll hit 4,000 at the high school this year rather than next.

- In downtown Bentonville, things are slowly changing with the Crystal Bridges arrival. Banana plants now line the fountain (hope they're genetically engineered for NWA winters). And lots of businesses are putting out some interesting signage...some quasi-old-metal-and-neon style (the former hotel whose name I can't remember off the SW part of the square has this), some just metal...but the common element is that most of said signs are hanging at the second story level of the buildings to which they're attached.

Edited July 27, 2012 by KJW

[zman9810]

- Man...houses, houses, HOUSES!!!! I visit west Bentonville and houses seem to be going up everywhere. Perhaps not quite at the rate of the boom years of '02-'04, but it seems close. Along Airport road Sunday I saw a group of Hispanic men who seemed to be planting stakes along the ground for yet another subdivision...I couldn't tell what they were doing at first as there were so many.

- Remember this intersection "Bright and Gator" (a roundabout, no less). It's brand new, but will be one to stay away from by this time next year as it's squarely between a brand new middle school and brand new junior high in southwest Bentonville. Sure looks to me that next August it will instantly become one of Bentonville's busiest.

- Sold an item on craigslist to a couple living in the Links apartments off Moberly in Bentonville. The asian population growth here is astounding...it looked literally on an early summer night like every resident in that sizeable complex was of Indian descent. Not complaining, just noting. Saw an article recently that broke down the rates of foreign workers analyzed by multiple categories. I think NWA was something like 6th in the nation in terms of percentage of workers on temporary visas, and the IT community here is largely responsible for that in this point in time. Fascinating to see the changes here. Speaking of new people:

- Better late than never on this news (especially after last month's millage rejection). Bentonville has over 1,000 new students projected in the district, about twice what they were expecting. There's a good chance they'll hit 4,000 at the high school this year rather than next.

- In downtown Bentonville, things are slowly changing with the Crystal Bridges arrival. Banana plants now line the fountain (hope they're genetically engineered for NWA winters). And lots of businesses are putting out some interesting signage...some quasi-old-metal-and-neon style (the former hotel whose name I can't remember off the SW part of the square has this), some just metal...but the common element is that most of said signs are hanging at the second story level of the buildings to which they're attached.

KJW - I welcome your contributions to the forum. You provide great information and good links that are appreciated.

What I myself do not appreciate is the inherent bigotry in observations such as "a group of Hispanic men who seemed to be planting stakes along the ground for yet another subdivision...I couldn't tell what they were doing at first as there were so many." If it had been a group of Caucasians or African-Americans would you have included that description in your post? if it doesn't add to the development based purpose of the topic it shouldn't be used in this forum.

[KJW]

KJW - I welcome your contributions to the forum. You provide great information and good links that are appreciated.

What I myself do not appreciate is the inherent bigotry in observations such as "a group of Hispanic men who seemed to be planting stakes along the ground for yet another subdivision...I couldn't tell what they were doing at first as there were so many." If it had been a group of Caucasians or African-Americans would you have included that description in your post? if it doesn't add to the development based purpose of the topic it shouldn't be used in this forum.

zman, I'm honestly almost glad you said that as I'd worried whether this would sound bigoted. (This is one of those moments where I still value that we have free speech to clarify ourselves. At least at this particular day in time.) I don't know how best to say "At first I thought they were trying to put together a soccer game", but that's what I thought as frequently, no, almost always, the men I see at the fields in south Bella Vista, east Bentonville or north Centerton after hours are Hispanic, playing what we call "soccer". I wasn't worried, just thought that's what they were getting ready to do but I saw they weren't exactly dressed for it, and noticed they seemed to be marching through a field putting stakes down. I've never seen that before, or rather, I've just never witnessed it when it happened. (Dunce cap)

[zman9810]

Here are a couple of photos of the 21C Hotel just off the Square. The first is the front- some nice brick work but the hotel itself is almost hidden from view. The second is the back which will also be mostly hidden by the parking deck that is being built. I'm not sure what to think about it- hopefully it will be first rate on the inside. I know the art gallery is supposed to be very nice.

[bubba72704]

I can't help but to be underwhelmed with the exterior. Just my opinion, but the architecture seems very out of place for Bentonville. I was hoping to see a building similar to the other 21c hotels -- if you visit their website you'll see that the Louisville and Cincinnati hotels have a more classic look. Oh well....

[FABES]

i know its way too late but i wish they had renovated this hotel in downtown rogers instead. i mean isnt that what they did at thier other locations? they renovated old buildings in a bad part of the cityhttp://file:///Users...p/imgres-2.jpeg

[comreguy]

i know its way too late but i wish they had renovated this hotel in downtown rogers instead. i mean isnt that what they did at thier other locations? they renovated old buildings in a bad part of the cityhttp://file:///Users...p/imgres-2.jpeg

Remember that the Walton's are partners in the hotel and that is the only reason it is here in Bentonville. Be glad we have it in NWA, as it is going to be a great addition to our market and is very unique.

[Mith242]

Thanks for the pics zman. It will be nice to have a hotel like this in the area. But I also have to admit it is a bit underwhelming on the exterior. When you hear 21c, this just isn't really what I have pictured in my mind. I hate to come off like I'm complaining about the hotel. It will still be a good asset for the area.

[zman9810]

i know its way too late but i wish they had renovated this hotel in downtown rogers instead. i mean isnt that what they did at thier other locations? they renovated old buildings in a bad part of the cityhttp://file:///Users...p/imgres-2.jpeg

I couldn't get your link to open but I bet you are talking about the old Lane Hotel. That is an amazing building that someone needs to put some money into in order to save. I imagine it would take a lot of cash but it seems like the payoff would be worth it. Here's another link with more info on it. http://rogersarkansas.com/museum/photo/lanehotel.asp

[UrbanArkie]

The distant owners of the Lane dont seem too excited about rennovating this project. Downtown Rogers seems to be doing quite well, although it is not near the destination as Downtown Bentonville. In addition to the Lane being a Rogers gem that needs polished, Lake Atlanta could use a major facelift. There is immense potential there, but having to drive by the smell Tyson on Walnut could be a deterrant for most.

[KJW]

This is Bella Vista news but might as well post it here...ground was broken last week for the new Mercy Clinic in BV, right across the street from Cooper Elementary School. Man...that's going to be another crowded BV street (Dartmoor) but it's good news for the village nonetheless.