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[chittlins]

Many great things happening here in NWA! I strongly encourage you after your stay in Branson to make a trip down here for a couple of days and enjoy the attractions, shopping and food. I love living in the area.

Now, if I could just find the big money guy to help back my buy out of the Drive In and add a water park to it.

On another note:
NWA employers surveyed plan to add 3,161 jobs by 2018, make $336 million in investments

http://talkbusiness.net/2016/03/nwa-employers-surveyed-plan-to-add-3161-jobs-by-2018-make-336-million-in-investments/

[chittlins]

XNA is gaining another flight from Delta to NYC. That makes 5 daily to NYC, Delta 2, American 2, United 1

Fares are attractive at 300 to 350 roundtrip nonstop.

Bentonville is gaining a 6 screen, downtown cinaplex. It is to support the film fest( you may have seen Geena Davis talk it up on Kimmel).

[HumphreyHawk]

They are building another retail/office space building along with the theatre.  Never saw where the buildings are going to go?  Not much space left to build with in walking space of the square. 

I used to get my haircut in a barber shop on central just off the square.  He had been there 30+ years and owned the building.  He said that in the 90s he couldn't give his building away or find anyone to lease.....but starting around 2011 he was getting crazy offers to buy it every day.  He closed shop a couple of years ago and the building has been refurbished.  I'm sure he retired a multimillionaire.  It's crazy what has happened there.....wish I'd had picked up some of those old broke down houses near the square back when I first moved to the area.  I might be 'retired' too.

[chittlins]

They are building another retail/office space building along with the theatre.  Never saw where the buildings are going to go?  Not much space left to build with in walking space of the square. 

I used to get my haircut in a barber shop on central just off the square.  He had been there 30+ years and owned the building.  He said that in the 90s he couldn't give his building away or find anyone to lease.....but starting around 2011 he was getting crazy offers to buy it every day.  He closed shop a couple of years ago and the building has been refurbished.  I'm sure he retired a multimillionaire.  It's crazy what has happened there.....wish I'd had picked up some of those old broke down houses near the square back when I first moved to the area.  I might be 'retired' too.

Memphis based Malco is budding a movie house in the Sojth Main area at the Amtrack Station. It's location is the power plant. They aim to keep the smokestack and the old brick facade. It is to be y indoor screens. The word is Malco will build these with Mezzanine seating, the theory is theowed level is your basic experience while the seating up top is valve added with drink and food service. I think they plan on having a couple of their own proprietry IMAXesque screens here as well. In addition to all of that, supposedly working on an outdoor screen, think drive in without the cars.

When I saw the size I hoped it was something similar but it looks to be an all local endeavor with the Waltons fronting and a local outfit running it.

This brings me to this... The Walton Arts Center should buy and renovate the old UARK Theater on Dickson in Fayetteville into a full fledged Imax. Keep the older facade but be new build behind it. It would serve two purposes. Educational by day, offering the education and informative films for the local schools to further the already existing mission in that area and Feature films by night.

[shavethewhales]

I think it's interesting how every theater is turning into a dinner theater experience. Always fun to witness an industry evolving quickly to keep up with the times. When I think back to the times we'd go see a movie in a basic elongated theater with a relatively small screen, it just seems barbaric now.

I love that they're keeping the little power plant. Not long ago developers wouldn't even question knocking it down and throwing in some cookie cutter design surrounded by parking.

[HumphreyHawk]

Malco doing that in Fayetteville then?

I avoid movies these days....beyond star wars and giving in to the kids for a kids movie a couple times a year....going to the movies is a chore and expensive for me these days.  I took the wife to a movie at the Bella Vista theatre a few months back (very old traditional floor seats and 'small' screen).  Between babysitter for 4 kids, tickets, dinner, popcorn/drink, 35 minutes of previews (yes I timed it) after they didn't start till 5 minutes after the show (I had to go tell them to start it) was scheduled to start.....I was out at least $100 bucks and 3.5 hours (2.5 at the show).  Could help but think I could have just waited to see the same movie in my living room for $5 or less a few months later.  There are so many other things now for us to do on our dates the are less expensive, frustrating, and lets us be more engaging the going to the movies these days.

[chittlins]

Malco doing that in Fayetteville then?

I avoid movies these days....beyond star wars and giving in to the kids for a kids movie a couple times a year....going to the movies is a chore and expensive for me these days.  I took the wife to a movie at the Bella Vista theatre a few months back (very old traditional floor seats and 'small' screen).  Between babysitter for 4 kids, tickets, dinner, popcorn/drink, 35 minutes of previews (yes I timed it) after they didn't start till 5 minutes after the show (I had to go tell them to start it) was scheduled to start.....I was out at least $100 bucks and 3.5 hours (2.5 at the show).  Could help but think I could have just waited to see the same movie in my living room for $5 or less a few months later.  There are so many other things now for us to do on our dates the are less expensive, frustrating, and lets us be more engaging the going to the movies these days

What, my idea for the UARK? NO, but it isn't from me not trying to convince people though. Malco is thinking of reworking the Razorback out by the mall aby adding their version of IMAX and adding the FEC and Bowling options to it.

I If had the moneyt,  I'd do is my Drive In theater and Water Park concept first. My Boss's Son is part of the group that bought the old UARK theater and they a  wanting more of an artsy film house, I am convincing him otherwise and for him to start a dialog with  WAC about the educational by day, features by night Imax and maybe another screen or two with some some Apts on top. There's lots of density being built around Dickson in Fayetteville.

The University shut down its Museum in the mid 90's. The collection is all in a storage and it's quite large, only a fraction was on display. Oddly enough, the old Gymnasium it was in was supposesly closed up forever but last year with WAC as a partner they opened up a smaller  performance theater in it.

Fayetteville should locate a spot and build a Museum housing the Uof A collection, a regional collection and a wing that rotates out various traveling collections via the Smithsonian and others.

Housing sales went up 25% from last year last month for NWA, it is in full boom again and those projections of an MSA upwards of 800,000 by 2030  are looking likely.

XNA is moving forward with a parking deck and then will connect a direct road with a then finished part of what is the interstate quality northern bypass of Springdale of US412 qnd providing a much better connection from I-49.

[chittlins]

I love that they're keeping the little power plant. Not long ago developers wouldn't even question knocking it down and throwing in some cookie cutter design surrounded by parking.

Malco hasn't really gone all in with dine in movies like others have. They have the Ridgeway and Playhouse on the Square in Memphis that are alternative type venues with Ridgeway serving food. And they are building a third movie, FEC, bowling venue out in the burbs there. They are still tinkering with their version of that. I have not heard of other chains attempting to bring back mezzanines but I like the ideal of the two in one hybrid. I think it may have to do with lot size as well but here's a rendering. This is going to be a block away from a new microdistillery. The family behind that were the y family that had the AB distribution rights in Memphis till they got a stupid sum of money to sell.



But this thread is about NWA, Top Golf has acknowledged they are scouting the area, that's big, big city type stuff but just goes to show the goldmine that's developing in SDC's back yard.

[chittlins]

Folks who developed this http://prestonhollowvillage.com/ is buying 109 acres at the Weddington /I 49 intersections. This will be huge for Fayettevillle.

[chittlins]

Stadium expansion
http://arkansasrazorbacks.com/dwrrs/

[Swoosh]

Stadium expansion
http://arkansasrazorbacks.com/dwrrs/

This makes no sense to me.  They can't fill what they already have except for the most marquee of opponents.  It's not the product on the field either - it's the poor location of Fayetteville to its alumni.  Most UA alumni are scattered across the state making it closer to go to see UA play in Starkville, Oxford or Baton Rouge than Fayetteville

[HumphreyHawk]

It's only 4,800 more seats +the added box seats.   They are after the additional season passes that it will create (with add donations required to get on the list and/or keep good seats).  They don't care if they show up to the NE Idaho St games as long as they buy the season tickets.  Ark fans are used to the travel....they play in Dallas and LR every year and draw fans from all over the region.  It would be 'nice' for the rest of the state if UA where 'better' located but it seems to have done well where it is.

[chittlins]

Stadium expansion
http://arkansasrazorbacks.com/dwrrs/

This makes no sense to me.  They can't fill what they already have except for the most marquee of opponents.  It's not the product on the field either - it's the poor location of Fayetteville to its alumni.  Most UA alumni are scattered across the state making it closer to go to see UA play in Starkville, Oxford or Baton Rouge than Fayetteville

They are not adding a single general admission seat. In fact, they are losing a few. They do have a waiting list for every type of seat they are putting in for the most part. The Suites are as go as sold already and a friend in the office tells me 75% of the club seats are spoken for. To address cost issues, they are decreasing upper deck seating prices and they are going to sell even cheaper SROs.

Also, you do not understand our Alumni base very well. The Dallas area has more Alumni than all of Eastern Arkansas. That's why you see us wanting to play there yearly. As to Little Rock, it is the same road between the two cities and with NWA's growth, the MSAs od Ft. Smith and NWA will likely eclipse that of LR's within 10 years, making NWA the population center of Arkansas. Heck, the FSM and NWA MSAs are already 700,000 plus combined. Most see it overtaking Tulsa in total size by 2030. The past two years have seen incoming freshmen from Texas outnumber those from Arkansas and Arkansas has been sending more than ever. Beside's (and I'm living proof) since I-540/I-49 opened more kids from Eastern Arkansas have come to school here and about 75 per cent of us stay. My little old co hometown has been planning a 25 year reunion. There are so many of us up here, we almost held it here instead of Marked Tree.

Another factor is that they'll be no major pro sports competing for that demo going forward either as the areas continues to grow.

Arkansas sells plenty of seats when they don't start the season losing to Toledo.

Little Rock had their chance to do major work on War Memorial 20 years ago and they didn't. Reminds me of Memphis when they would have got the Jacksonville franchise of the NFL had they built a new stadium but an improved Gator Bowl was better than an improved Liberty Bowl. 

The fact is Arkansas is one of the handfull of schools that takes not a single dime of tuition money or state tax money ton run it's Athletic program and runs in the black while doing so. The Athletic Depot actually gives the Academic side millions per year. There is no manditory student athleric fee. Students don't have to give a dime to athletics unless they want the drastically discounted ticket package.

[chittlins]

I want to update some numbers

The MSA for Ft. Smith is 290,000
NWA is 502,000
Gives the two a CSA of 792,000.

The MSA for Little Rock/Conway is 729,000.
The CSA(add in Hot springs and Pine Bluff) is 902,000,

That's only 110,000. I'd change it from 10 years to 5 years on the area overtaking all of Central Arkansas.

Tulsa is 962,000. That's ten years but Tulsa has been nearly flat for a while now. So, maybe sooner than later.



In my opinion, there's two things Arkansas should do ASAP.

Finish I-49 to Texarkana

Make US 412 interstate quality across North Arkansas, shaving over an hour of drive time from Northeast Arkansas to NWA. Pitch it as ultimately extending I-22 from Memphis to Stillwater OK/I-35 using I-555/US 63 as the connector from near Jonesboro to Memphis. An ideal senario would see a new Mississippi River Bridge north of West Memphis that would directly tie into US 51/Future I-69 at the the terminus of the I-269 loop in Millington.

[HumphreyHawk]

Yeap....I moved here 16 years ago and have literally watched the Bville/Roger area explode with development and population. I remember driving around Bentonville the first time back in 2000.....it's crazy how different the place is.  I wish I was wise enough to figure out how to invest in real estate around here back then.  It's getting harder and harder to actually meet people who have haven't moved here within there lifetime.  The majority of the region is know populated with newcomers who bring in there fandom from elsewhere but are also respectful to the local UA fandom (like myself).  I was on a western Caribbean cruse recently that went out of TX and was shocked to see that even all the Intl stores where almost exclusively packed with college merch from the TX schools, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Razorback stuff. 

It's a pretty easy argument to say the NWA has surpassed the LR area economically already....I've always liked living here while its been still a "under the radar" type of great place to live.  I've never wanted to brag about it too much because I've always knew it was going to boom into a bigger town.  I don't want it to start feeling like a 'big city' like Tulsa.  One of NWAs greatest secret is that it is really a group of 'smaller' communities that all have their own identities and small town feel but are all close enough together to work with each other to provide 'bigger' city services too.

They need to get the Bella Vista Bypass done and gets some more/better/cheaper flight options at XNA.  The whole NWA region is behind in it's roadway growth.  A lot branch highways in and out of the main towns need attention too.  It's frustrating to me that Silioam Springs/Springdale gets another/additional bypasses while 2 lane roads from the growing outer towns like Pea Ridge (72), Gentry (171), Decatur (102), etc that carry thousands of cars daily are jammed every morning and night with commuters.