Chaffee amphitheater, residential land open with new road

Access to an amphitheater at Chaffee Crossing built by German prisoners of war during World War II will now be easier to access following the opening of McClure Road today (Nov. 8).

The road, east of Massard and south of Zero Street, leads to McClure Amphitheater and serves as more than just an access point to the amphitheater, according to Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders.

"And it provides access to the McClure Amphitheater, which is now a city park. It also provides access to future development for private investment for economic development here at Chaffee Crossing. So it's a dual-purpose project."

Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Ivy Owen said the $1 million construction of McClure Road, which was split evenly between the city and the FCRA, would finally open up land for development that was previously unreachable.

"There's about 320 acres up here of prime residential property that's been landlocked all these years and now with this road, that's going to open up at least 100 acres of that and as that road's extended on over to Wells Lake, the rest of it will be open," he said.

Constructing the remaining mile or so to Wells Lake Road will require a land purchase from a developer, Owen said, which could take time.

"It will happen as soon as we get some serious developers up here that are willing to make an offer on some property. Because part of the city's requirement is they have fire access, emergency access that goes through from one main street to another. So when that happens, when we have a serious developer, somebody – and I'm assuming it's going to be us and the city and the developer because there's a third, third and a third formula they use – to get this street on over to Wells Lake."

As for what type of development citizens can expect in the area, Owen expects luxury homes to be built along the ridge that faces west with a sweeping view of Fort Smith.

"I think the initial development is going to be luxury homes along the ridge, because those will be the ones with a view. But I think you'll see, I don't think you'll see anything less than a half-acre lot up here. So maybe a mix. And that's what we're shooting for, a mix. We want to have a walkable community. I would love to have one developer come up and do the whole thing that knows how to do a walkable, sustainable, smart-growth neighborhood. That's what I'd like to see. But may not be able to do this."

And while Owen and Sanders have shown excitement and enthusiasm about the future of the land surrounding the amphitheater, it has not always been this way.

According to Owen, the amphitheater was in disarray before the FCRA invested about $100,000 in not only restoring the site for use but also adding trails that connect to Sebastian County's Ben Geren Park to the west. And it was only after investing in the amphitheater that turning the dirt road into a paved city street became a real possibility.

"We started working on this amphitheater four years ago and as soon as we knew we were going to get it finished and had the money to do it, then we started talking to the city about doing the street out of their capital improvement budget. And we decided we share the cost. All our projects we do now we share the cost with the city – the city of Barling and the city of Fort Smith. It works out real well."

According to Sanders, the city's funding for the project came from the city's street fund while Owen has previously stated that land sales from the FCRA to private developers funds projects, including street and utility installation at the former U.S. Army base.