Singletree Plaza, Stein Mart, to Open Later This Month

Fayetteville’s newest shopping center, Singletree Plaza, should be completed early this month, and the first store there, Walker Brothers Dry Goods, should be open by the middle of May, says John W. Cole, an owner and developer of the $1.4 million project.

The Toggery, a children’s clothing store, will open in the 15,900-SF shopping center on Millsap Road by the end of the month, says Cole. The Toggery is moving from its location at 3660 Front St. in Fayetteville. The Toggery will occupy about 2,200 SF in Singletree Plaza, says Kelly Maestri, owner of the business.

Morgan Scott Interiors, owned by Kimberly Hooker and Carolyn Trumbo, plans to open 1,325-SF of space in Singletree Plaza around June 1. Trumbo says the business will provide interior design consulting as well as home furnishings and accessories — “a nice, eclectic mix of all kinds of things.”

Cole operated John W. Cole Apparel for Gentlemen on the downtown Fayetteville square from 1977 until he closed the store in February 1997.

Walker Brothers Dry Goods will take up about 3,000-SF of the new center. Cole is still interviewing prospective businesses to occupy the remaining space.

Stein Mart to open May 13

in Fiesta Square

Stein Mart, a discount clothing and home furnishings store with 151 locations nationwide, plans to open May 13 in the remaining 37,733 SF of space in the former Wal-Mart building in Fayetteville’s Fiesta Square shopping center, says Debra Gaskins, administrative assistant for the CFO of Stein Mart.

Silk Tree Factory, a home decorating store, took up most of the old Wal-Mart space when it opened a 53,110-SF store there Feb. 27. Wal-Mart closed that 16-year-old store last October when the company opened a 202,000-SF Supercenter in Fayetteville’s Spring Creek Centre.

Stein Mart, which is based in Jacksonville, Fla., has two stores in Little Rock and one in Fort Smith.

Goody’s opening

Northwest Arkansas stores

Goody’s Family Clothing Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn.-based retailer, is planning to open two stores in Northwest Arkansas on July 30.

A 26,200-SF store will be located in the old Kmart space in Rogers’ Dixieland Mall, and a 30,030-SF Goody’s will be housed in a building under construction in Fayetteville’s Spring Creek Centre.

On the same day, Goody’s will also open a 17,500-SF store in Paragould. As of July 30, Goody’s will have 237 stores in 15 states, says Justin Titcombe, a spokesman for the company. Other Goody’s in Arkansas are located in Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Benton, Jonesboro, Searcy and Russellville.

“We generally locate in small, growing communities that have a strong employment base,” says Titcombe.

Goody’s sells 80 percent brand-name merchandise and 20 percent private-label clothing for the entire family, Titcombe says. Goody’s prices are usually 30 percent to 40 percent below department store prices, he says.

The Kmart space in Dixieland Mall has been empty since early 1995.

Executives to address

college grads

Executives with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., J.C. Penney Co., Proctor & Gamble and Exxon Corp. will address area college graduates at commencement ceremonies this month.

Donald G. Soderquist, vice chairman and COO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will speak at a commencement ceremony for NorthWest Arkansas Community College graduates at 7 p.m., May 8, at the Springdale High School Performing Arts Center.

Tom Muccio, vice president of customer business development for Proctor & Gamble Worldwide, will speak to John Brown University graduates at 10 a.m. May 9, in the university’s Walton Lifetime Health Complex. Muccio is on the JBU Board of Trustees.

Barger Tygart, retired vice chairman of the board for J.C. Penney Co., will speak at the University of Arkansas’ College of Business Administration ceremony at 12:30 p.m. May 9 at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

Ansel Condray, president and management committee member of Exxon Corp., will speak at the UA’s College of Engineering ceremony at 3 p.m. May 9 in Bud Walton Arena.

John A. White, chancellor of the UA’s Fayetteville campus, will speak at the all-university commencement at 9 a.m., May 9, in Bud Walton Arena.

Commencement speakers for other UA schools and colleges include: John Holliman, a CNN reporter, Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, noon, May 9, Broyles Athletic Center; Thomas F. (Mack) McLarty III, counselor to President Clinton, J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, 12:30 p.m., May 9, Bud Walton Arena; Elizabeth Dole, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, School of Law, 1:30 p.m., May 16; state Sen. John Brown, College of Education and Health Professions, 3 p.m., May 9, Barnhill Arena; and Clifton Murray Smart Jr., university professor of architecture, School of Architecture, 2 p.m., May 9, Giffels Auditorium, Old Main.

The commencement ceremonies are free and open to the public. n

Bill Bowden can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].