UA Board Approves Architect for Walker Hall

On Nov. 14, the University of Arkansas board of trustees approved Machado & Silvetti Associates Inc. of Boston and Allison Architects Inc. of Little Rock as architects for the $20.7 million Willard J. Walker Hall.rt

The firms are partnering on the project with Machado as the design firm and Allison doing the construction documents and management.rt

The UA plans to come up with $16.7 million from gift funds and issue bonds for the remaining $4 million to pay for the project, said David Hyatt, UA assistant dean of business administration. A gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation will provide $8 million for the construction. rt

The new building, part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will be located east of the current business building and north of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development. Most of that space is now a parking lot, but the project will include shifting Buchanan Street to the east and renaming it New Harmon Street to make way for the new building.rt

The building will most likely be three stories tall and about 75,000 SF in size, Hyatt said. Construction is expected to begin in April 2005 and be completed 18 months later. rt

Willard Walker was the first manager of Sam Walton’s dime store on the downtown Fayetteville square. He retired from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 1972. rt

Also, next fall the UA plans start a $30 million Center for Academic Excellence just to the north of the site proposed for Walker Hall. That spot is currently home to a married-students apartment building that was built in the 1970s.rt

The Center for Academic Excellence will probably be four stories and 95,000 SF, Hyatt said. r