Bentonville, Arkansas

[bkern1989]

Did they hit a snag on Cracker Barrel or are they already taking a break?  I haven't seen them working on it anytime in the past week.

[bubba72704]

Probably just shut down for the holidays?

[bkern1989]

Construction signs have been up on the South side of the new neighborhood market on Regional Airport Blvd and they appear to be flattening out the land.  Anyone heard if anything is going there?  If so, I'd assume some sort of fast food.  McDonalds is currently the only one near there and gets tons of business, especially during rush hour.

[TheyLookUpToMe]

Construction signs have been up on the South side of the new neighborhood market on Regional Airport Blvd and they appear to be flattening out the land. Anyone heard if anything is going there? If so, I'd assume some sort of fast food. McDonalds is currently the only one near there and gets tons of business, especially during rush hour.[/quot]

I normally would check their website but apparently bentonville failed to renew their website registration??? Bentonvillear.com no longer works and shows a network solutions template. Tack tacular...

[bubba72704]

The only thing I know of that's going in around there is a new fire department substation just to the north of the new Neighborhood Market.  Will be interested to see what comes next.

[bkern1989]

The only thing I know of that's going in around there is a new fire department substation just to the north of the new Neighborhood Market.  Will be interested to see what comes next.

Maybe that's it.  I was actually mistaken.  The construction I'm talking about is actually to the East of the market, right along the West side of 1st street.  

[KJW]

As the late Paul Harvey used to say, "here's a STRANGE".  I know this could go above in the coffee house but I think it's appropriate for here (explain more in a moment).

 

It appears Bentonville High School will play a team that has been, over the last four seasons, perhaps the top high school football team in the New York City area, Don Bosco Preparatory of Ramsey, NJ.  Don Bosco finished #1 in the nation in one mythical championship poll in 2010, runner-up the next year.

 

Digest that for a moment: Bentonville, AR High School's football team will likely play the top team in the New York City four state (NY, NJ, PA, CT) metro area, at "Bennie's" Tiger Stadium on September 19th of this year.

 

Then think of this...that's after Bentonville played Euless Trinity, TX (which was the top "big-school" rushing team in Texas this year and finished in that state's top 7 this year, after almost finishing #1 in the nation in 2010, losing by a touchdown (they were the only school of all this year's Trinity opponents (including DeSoto, TX, which led Texas with over 8,000 yards this past season and finished #2 in Texas, #5 nationally, which dominated and almost beat in the final minutes Allen (#1 in Texas, #2 in the nation)) to hold Trinity to single digits in the first half, with Trinity scoring its first points with just under :30 to go in the first  half at Bentonville in September 2013), losing by a touchdown.

 

And that's after Bentonville beat (no, SLAMMED, something like 41-7) 2010 mythical national high school football champion (according to Rivals and USA TODAY) South Panola, Mississippi in 2012.

 

What it means is that the Bentonville football coach Barry Lunney, Sr. literally looked around the high school football landscape in 2010 and said "I think we're ready to take on the best in the nation now."  And he has, armed (no pun intended) with a kid who may be the best pro-style high school quarterback in the class of 2016, in what likely will be Coach Lunney, Sr's final years coaching.

 

Not to be outdone, Bentonville's boy's basketball team beat, right before the New Year, Fort Bend Bush, TX, which won the Texas 5A basketball championship in 2010.  Anyone seen the Harrison twins from Fort Bend Travis High School in Texas playing for Kentucky this season?  Aaron and Andrew Harrison were only the highest-rated twins ever coming out of high school (Aaron the #1 point guard, Andrew the #1 shooting guard) before signing with John Calipari's Wildcats, right before leading their team to the 2013 Texas 5A championship after finishing runner up the year before.  The ONLY team to beat the 2013 Fort Bend Travis team was, you guessed it, Fort Bend Bush which beat Travis not once (in a greater Houston area tournament), not twice (in their first district meeting) but THREE times (also in their second district meeting) before falling in the Texas 5A quarterfinals.  Bentonville (link above) also has what may be the nation's best high school guard (shooting or point) in the class of 2016.

 

Whew.

 

All this is to say that Bentonville alone has made some incredible accomplishments at the high school level this decade.  (So have several other NWA high schools in athletics and elsewhere).  And this may change in two years when "Bennie" splits into two high schools (which already is generating a tremendous amount of growth around Centerton, where the second high school in the Bentonville district will be built).  So be it.  It's been a fascinating ride.

Edited January 11, 2014 by KJW

[TheyLookUpToMe]

The neighborhood market being built by the square will have condos on top.. Also a movie theater is planned for somewhere down there

[Rory12]

Could the movie theater possibly be an ipic theater?

[TheyLookUpToMe]

No clue. The manager at 21c hotel/museum was telling me about all of the magical things going on down there

[UrbanArkie]

Bentonville downtown has become such an interesting location. I wonder what will ever happen with the old fairgrounds...

[bubba72704]

Seems like a perfect place for a performing art center to me.  If you happen to have an extra $100 Million laying around....

[KJW]

 

 

 

BENTONVILLE, AR -- A Frank Lloyd Wright house will soon call Crystal Bridges home.

The museum announced Wednesday they have acquired a rare house by the legendary American architect. Known as the Bachman Wilson House, it's located in the Borough of Millstone in Somerset County, N.J. Due to repeated flooding, the house has sustained significant damage and relocation has been recommended as a means of best preserving the structure.

It will be disassembled, moved to Bentonville and reassembled on Crystal Bridges’ 120-acre grounds. At Crystal Bridges, the house will be available for study as well as for limited programming and tours. 

According to the museum, a specialized contractor dismantle the house, under the supervision of the previous owners, for moving to Arkansas where it will be reconstructed to Frank Lloyd Wright’s original specifications. 

The Bachman Wilson House will be located a short distance from the museum along its 3.5 miles of trails. Crystal Bridges says they hope to complete the move and reconstruction in early 2015.

http://www.nwahomepage.com/story/d/story/1B2k5TzWzUSgsVkYo--Zzw

 

FASCINATING.

[Mith242]

 

 

FASCINATING.

Yeah, pretty interesting.  In other circumstances you know some people would complain about relocating it.  But in this case they're trying to help save it because of the repeated flooding it experiences at it's current location.  I just wish E Fay Jones was still alive to have something built on the Crystal Bridges grounds as well.  For that matter if he had still been alive I've wondered if maybe Alice Walton might have had him design the museum instead.

[TheyLookUpToMe]

Bentonville downtown has become such an interesting location. I wonder what will ever happen with the old fairgrounds...

Just learned recently that its the piece of land down the street west of the office on 8th street surrounded by the iron gates.. Never knew who owned it. I called city hall and they said Walton enterprises

[bkern1989]

Bentonville downtown has become such an interesting location. I wonder what will ever happen with the old fairgrounds...

I was thinking the same thing!  I drove there today for the first time in roughly a month and never realized all the construction going on.  I will be interesting to see what all comes up.

[UrbanArkie]

The real FLW in short distance here? who woulda thought?

[krt479]

Here is a link for a FB page that shows the renderings for what the Midtown Center will look like upon completion.

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=678130388904911&id=643105755740708

[KJW]

Here is a link for a FB page that shows the renderings for what the Midtown Center will look like upon completion.

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=678130388904911&id=643105755740708

 

Wow, again.  Thanks, krt479.

 

BTW, water(?)/sewer lines now being laid all over the area between Airport Road and Centerton Road (between Centerton and Bentonville).  I thought there were plenty of homes there already, obviously, they may be preparing for many more.

[bkern1989]

That Midtown Center is going to look amazing when it's finished!  

[UrbanArkie]

Great location, and Great concept.

[TRB]

I find it rather interesting that Walmart may help lead to revitalizations of areas it's accused of destroying. Here's a newer urban Walmart Express store in Chicago

 

[thewizard16]

I find it rather interesting that Walmart may help lead to revitalizations of areas it's accused of destroying. Here's a newer urban Walmart Express store in Chicago

 

I'm glad they're open to it, but I wouldn't give Walmart too much credit for leading revitalization. They're following what the market (particularly the young professional and retiring baby boomer demographics leading downtown residential revitalizations in cities) now demands: stores in urban cores. It's smart business, but it's motivated by market trends and the desire to grow the company, not help the downtown areas that they once were blamed for killing off (that was market demand too, I don't really blame them for that). By necessity these urban stores are smaller format, and Walgreens, CVS, and other chains have been willing to jump into that niche and Walmart doesn't want to miss the next area of retail focus so they're getting in on it too. I believe Target is experimenting with the small format downtown stores too. I love the idea and hope it continues to expand. The Walmart on Campus at UofA is a great example of how a very small format Walmart can work very well in a high density area and provide for most of your daily needs, while being a little more affordable than a comparable Walgreens. I'd love to see them put one in downtown Little Rock with so much new residential going in down there, but it may be too small a market for them at this point. A neighborhood market like this one in Bentonville could definitely work though... Just in case anyone from Walmart out there is reading this. 

[wmr]

Wal-Mart should consider a smaller store for downtown Fayetteville.  Maybe not even a NM, but an express sized store.  

 

Marvin's IGA handles the downtown grocery needs, but a NM would be better.

[UrbanArkie]

I have been told that NHM is only to get residents to drink the WM koolaid. Which I think is very smart.

As far as downtown revitalization, I think a simple web depot would suffice. Like an Amazon delivery hub, in old hardware/furniture/etc downtown storefronts.