Bike company Specialized leases space in downtown Bentonville’s Ledger

High-end bike manufacturer Specialized Bicycle Components of California has signed a lease to occupy approximately 4,200 square feet on the first floor of the 230,000-square-foot mixed-use building under construction in downtown Bentonville called Ledger.

According to a news release Monday (June 6), the company will establish an “Experience Center.” Specialized officials describe it as a “communal hub” for bike enthusiasts with various high-performance bikes available for riders to demo on local trails.

Specialized has similar centers in Boulder, Co., and Santa Cruz, Calif. The Bentonville location is expected to open this fall, once Ledger’s construction is complete.

“We’ve designed the Bentonville space as a comfortable place to connect before and after your time on the trails,” Jennifer Gibbons, the company’s manager of retail services, said in the release. “Take a bike out for an incredible ride, then come back and relax with friends, study the map wall to plan your next adventure, or hang out and chat with our local experts. You can even take a post-ride shower and enjoy a coffee.”

Mike Sinyard founded Specialized in 1974. The company’s presence in Bentonville — specifically inside Ledger — seems tailor-made. Bentonville staked its claim two years ago as the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.” Ledger is the world’s first bikeable office building.

The six-story building’s exterior design will incorporate a 3,900-linear-foot bikeable and walkable path. The zig-zag switchback pattern will provide direct outdoor entry on every floor, with terraces that allow for open-air access.

Specialized said it will hire several employees for the downtown Bentonville center but did not specify how many.

“While cycling is what attracted us to Bentonville, it’s the welcoming, passionate people that made us believe we had to be there permanently,” said Sam Benedict, the company’s mountain bike category leader. “The trail network is unlike anything I’ve seen before while the community cares deeply about intertwining riding with art, music, education, food, and dynamic outdoor life that holds its arms wide open to all people.

“We are honored to support and join that community. Ledger and its team are truly first-class and creating an overall professional and welcoming environment that aligns with our beliefs in pedaling the planet forward. We can’t wait to welcome everyone.

Specialized is the second business to announce a lease agreement with Ledger. Mertins Eye & Optical is leasing approximately 1,500 square feet on the first floor.

Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers will lease and manage the project. Bentonville developer Josh Kyles, through his Center City LLC, is the landowner (1.74 acres) and is leading Ledger’s development team.

Nabholz Construction of Rogers is overseeing the construction with a building permit valued at $51.6 million. That amount does not include the construction of Ledger’s detached, eight-story parking garage with approximately 500 spaces. The first floor will be reserved for public use.

Marlon Blackwell Architects of Fayetteville, Michel Rojkind, Christian Callaghan and Haruka Horiuchi collaborated on the building design.