Investor gives $2.3 million for former All-Star Sports Arena in Springdale
by June 26, 2017 2:35 pm 4,089 views
A 130,000-square-foot building in Springdale formerly known as All-Star Sports Arena has changed hands for $2.3 million. The purchase price equals $17.69 per square foot.
According to county real estate records, Gary Nichols is the new owner of the building at 1906 Cambridge St. The deal also includes the tenant, Next Level Achievements, a nonprofit that offers a variety of athletic programming for students in grades 1 through 12.
Nichols could not be reached for comment. Grand Bank of Tulsa, Okla., financed the deal with a five-year mortgage of $1.84 million.
Shane and Shelly Willis of Farmington were the sellers. Shane Willis was a business partner in Next Level with Conley Clarke.
Willis paid Simmons Bank $2.1 million for the 2.38-acre development, then known as All-Star Sports Arena, in August 2014. Simmons recovered the indoor sports complex in April 2013 from Scott and Connie Harris and Richard and Linda Harris at a $2.2 million foreclosure sale.
Clarke said he will still oversee day-to-day operations of the building and Next Level, and no changes in programming are planned.
“We’re actually planning to fix [the building] up even more,” he said. “It’s a 130,000-square-foot building and you could fix something up every day if you wanted to. We’ll make some improvements to things like the indoor track, doing some roofing upgrades, air conditioners, stuff like that.
Next Level is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. According to its website, the building includes eight basketball/volleyball courts, indoor soccer fields, batting cages, training areas 1,000-foot indoor track, computer lab and concession stands. Next Level also offers cryotherapy and is nearing the launch of a yoga program, Clarke said.
The building, built in 2004, hosts numerous tournaments, leagues, camps and clinics for multiple sports throughout the year. Clarke said Next Level is hosting a one-night clinic July 17, headlined by Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Stevens coached Butler University to two NCAA championship game appearances (2010, 2011) before heading to the NBA in 2013.
Clarke’s son, Rotnei Clarke, played for Stevens at Butler for one season (2012-13) and was the team’s leading scorer. He played his first three years of college basketball at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the single-game record for three-pointers (13) and points (51), set against Alcorn State on Nov. 13, 2009.