Alice L. Walton Foundation to loan $239 million to Bentonville
by January 27, 2026 12:48 pm 9,810 views
The Alice L. Walton Foundation will provide a $239 million loan to the city of Bentonville for sewer infrastructure upgrades to meet expected demand and accommodate growth.
A spokeswoman said the foundation has not provided a loan like this previously. The foundation offered the loan proposal “based on its ongoing commitment to Bentonville and its intent to be a supportive resource for the implementation of Plan Bentonville.”
In late December, the Bentonville City Council approved a $239 million bond funded by the foundation. The 20-year bond has a 5% interest rate and will be repaid using development fee receipts. The one-time fees are based on the impact new developments have on the wastewater system. The fees start at $7,867 per equivalent residential unit and will be adjusted annually for inflation and operational cost increases.
The city previously adopted a $239 million, 10-year program to expand sewer infrastructure. The city’s projections for sewer infrastructure upgrades would serve a 2050 population of approximately 217,000 residents, or more than triple the city’s population, records show.
Mark Beauchamp, president of Utility Financial Solutions, completed a cost analysis for the city that shows growth is putting pressure on the city’s sewer system, which is nearing capacity and limiting the city’s ability to approve new projects. The lines and lift stations that transport wastewater to the treatment plant will need to be expanded. These upgrades were identified in the city’s 10-year program.
The program doesn’t include the $153 million in capacity upgrades planned for its wastewater treatment plant or the city’s $68 million share of capacity upgrades to the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority wastewater treatment plant.
The development fees can only cover the growth-related portion of the expansion work. The fee-eligible portion of the total $459.65 million project, which includes the wastewater plant upgrades, is $312.88 million. The remaining $146.77 million would be paid for through rates.