Early Development Begins for Bentonville Plaza

The initial construction of the Bentonville Plaza has finally begun after over two years in the planning.

The eventual $80-$100 million project will begin with a nine-story, $35 million, 273,000-SF building that will be the largest multi-tenant building ever developed in Northwest Arkansas. It will be located at 701 SW 8th St. in Bentonville, across the street from the world headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sam’s Club. It is expected to be completed in June of 2004.

The ownership of the project consists of Pitcairn Properties of Jenkintown, Pa., and FBE Limited of New York. Financial backing was secured from Elliot Spence and Michael Steinberg of New York.

Future plans call for a 200,000-SF hotel and convention center and two more office towers. In all, plans call for a total of about 750,000 SF of office space, hotel and restaurant facilities.

The 8.8-acre site will include 1 million SF of parking space.

Tommy Van Zandt of Irwin & Saviers Co. is the leasing agent and marketing director. The general contractors are The Sullivan Co. and Hensel Phelps.

Bentonville To Get Sixth Elementary

Bentonville Public Schools will be adding its sixth elementary school with Mary Mae Jones Elementary, which is scheduled to open in August 2004.

General contractor Branco Enterprises of Neosho, Mo., recently purchased a building permit for $6.44 million for the project. Hight-Jackson Associates will be the architectural firm on the project.

The two-story school will be about 80,000 SF. It will be located at 500 S.E. 14th St., just west of the Bentonville Police Department.

Enderle Adds Six at Shadow Valley

Judy Enderle of Enderle Construction in Rogers on May 7 secured six loans totaling $1.42 million from Regions Bank to build more homes at a southwest Rogers subdivision.

Shadow Valley is a Charles Reaves development spread over 514 acres. The 18-hole golf course opened earlier this year. Located west of the Pleasant Grove Road/Interstate 540 intersection and stretching west near Arkansas Highway 112, it is just southwest of Pinnacle Country Club.

The $250 million development will include from 1,700-2,000 living units priced at $175,000 and up, with the average home going for about $250,000.

Enderle’s latest homes there will be at 6616, 5407 and 413 Braebourne Road and 6602, 6607 and 6611 Inverness Drive.

Also, Vance Puttkammer Homes Inc. of Rogers on May 7 got a loan of $388,000 from Arvest Bank in Rogers to build another home at Shadow Valley.

Arkansas Dream Builders to Add Eight at Emerald

Arkansas Dream Builders of Farmington recently purchased eight building permits valued at a combined $1.36 million to build more homes at a southwest Rogers subdivision.

Sisters Annabelle Nickell and Angel Hobbs, co-owners of ADB, are putting their latest homes in at Emerald Heights.

Emerald Heights is west of Interstate 540 off Pleasant Grove Road and near Bellview Elementary School. The homes will range from 2,341-3,152 SF. They will be located at 5200, 5202 and 5204 S. 43rd St. and 4203, 4205, 4207, 4209 and 4211 Pleasant St.

Emerald Heights will be one of the subdivisions featured in the Home Builders’ Association Parade of Homes from June 20-22. ADB will have 16 homes in the subdivision.

The company will be using house designs by Frank Betz of Smyrna, Ga.

Woodworks Working Wonders at Wildwood

Aaron Nickell of Woodworks Plus in Lowell on May 8 secured a loan of $1.25 million from Regions Bank to build eight homes at a southwest Bentonville subdivision.

Wildwood subdivision is located off Arkansas Highway 112 near Brightwood subdivision. Homes there will range from 2,000-2,500 SF. There will be 71 lots in phase I.

The latest homes at Wildwood are being built at 3914 S.W. Huckleberry St.; 3915 S.W. Blackberry St.; and 2103, 2203, 2205, 2207, 2209 and 2211 S.W. Juniper Ave.

Bain Begins Building at Bluff View

Larry Bain of Next Generation Builders in Fayetteville recently purchased 11 building permits valued at a combined $1.04 million to begin construction on homes at a northeast Springdale subdivision.

Bluff View will be located off Old Wire Road. Homes there will range from 1,750-2,000 SF. There will be 94 lots in the subdivision.

Bain’s first 11 homes will be on Apache Trail, Arrow Place, Buffalo Place, Choctaw Place and Grainter Circle.

Walnut Crossing Gets Riggins Touch

Kevin Riggins of Riggins Construction in Springdale on May 8 got a loan of $708,960 from Superior Bank to continue his construction of homes at a south Springdale subdivision.

Walnut Crossing subdivision will be at the intersection of Powell Street and Walnut Grove Road. There are 75 lots in the addition. Homes there will range from about 1,250-2,050 SF.

Allencroft Subdivision Continues Growth

Burckart Construction Crestmark Homes in Bentonville on May 2 secured five loans totaling $671,200 from Regions Bank to add to a northeast Bentonville subdivision.

Allencroft subdivision is at the intersection of Tiger and “J” streets and is located on 12 acres. The addition has lots of parks and green space. It includes row homes, cottages and bungalow designs and tree canopies. There are plans for a general store.

Homes at Allencroft will average about 2,000 SF and will start at $135,000. There are 117 lots in the subdivision. The latest homes there will be located on Northeast Young Street and Northeast Dysart Woods Lane.

Hogs’ Nutt Secures Home Surroundings

University of Arkansas head football coach Houston Nutt and his wife, Diana, on May 7 got a loan of $663,322 from First Security Bank of Springdale to purchase more land surrounding their east Fayetteville home.

Located at 3789 Sassafras Road, the Nutts now have a 40-acre tract and a 14.9-acre tract. Their 4,432-SF home and four acres were purchased Jan. 21, 1998, for $325,000 from Dr. Richard Wike, an optometrist. That purchase was financed through what was then NationsBank (now Bank of America). The five-bedroom, three-bath house is two stories.

When Nutt first accepted the head coaching position, he lived briefly at The Greens at Lakeside Village provided by Jim Lindsey, president of Lindsey & Associates Inc. of Fayetteville and owner of the apartments.

The house on Sassafras is not the first house Nutt has owned in Fayetteville. When he was an assistant coach at Arkansas in the early 1990s, he owned one at 2721 Golden Oaks Drive. That home had 1,970 SF and cost Nutt just $89,000.