Chaffee director updates Fort Smith board

Praise for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and a teaser about a new logo and “tagline” were part of a brief report Ivy Owen provided the Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (May 12).

Owen, director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, unveiled the first look at a new soft blue and green look for marketing materials and a new tagline,” Where Community and Commerce Connect.” The new look and Web site is to be officially released June 1.

The FCRA is tasked with developing about 7,000 acres of former military property deeded to area communities by the Department of Defense in 2000.

That development was hampered when more than 100 acres of the site was destroyed in a January 2008 fire. Owen said initial estimates were than the cost of cleanup — primarily asbestos removal — would be $4.6 million. However, he told the board, a process was found that allows FCRA staff to do the work for an estimated cost of $425,000. The 100 acres, once cleaned, will be “prime commercial property” along Arkansas 22 and near proposed Interstate 49, Owen said.

Owen also said about $163 million in private-sector developments have been made or are planned for the Chaffee property. Those projects include the new manufacturing plants of Graphic Packaging and Mars Petcare, the soon-to-start construction a new gun manufacturing plant (Umarex), and several new housing subdivisions.

The effort to recruit business and industry to Chaffee has enjoyed the support of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Owen told they board. He said university officials are active participants in promoting economic development at Chaffee.

“I don’t know what we’d do without them,” Owen said of UAFS.