Bentonville Square development to be named The Hart on Main
by February 12, 2026 10:00 am 5,857 views
New renderings were released for mixed-use development The Hart on Main on the Bentonville Square. Preliminary development plans include about 50,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage space, along with 184 apartments, 17 condos and about 45,000 square feet of office space.
A multistory, mixed-use development planned to encompass two blocks on the north side of the Bentonville Square will be called The Hart on Main. The name was inspired by a painter and a U.S. senator for whom Bentonville and Benton County were named.
The project, located on Northwest Second Street between North Main and Northeast A streets, was first announced in April 2025. An investment amount for the project was not disclosed.
Runway Group, Blue Crane and Austin, Texas-based real estate firm Riverside announced the project name Thursday (Feb. 12). Blue Crane is Runway Group’s real estate acquisition and development arm. Runway Group is a diversified holding company based in Bentonville and led by Tom Walton and Steuart Walton, who are grandsons of Walmart founders Helen and Sam Walton.
New project renderings show a six-story building on the north side of the square and a seven-story building to its north. Preliminary plans for the development include 184 apartments, 17 condos, about 50,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage space, and about 45,000 square feet of office space. It will also have underground parking.
The project is in the design and planning phase. Groundbreaking is slated for this summer. The project will be completed over multiple years. Over the next several months, the project team will share updates and seek resident feedback to help shape the project’s experiences and uses.
According to a news release, the project design is expected to bring together old and new. The project’s aim is “to enhance walkable downtown living while contributing to vibrant experiences, welcoming public spaces and stronger connections across the city’s historic core.”
The historic Benton County Jail will be restored as part of the project, the release shows. The jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and “its history will remain visible and connected to everyday downtown life.”
The project’s name was inspired by acclaimed painter Thomas Hart Benton and his great-granduncle, Thomas Benton, a U.S. senator from Missouri who was influential in Arkansas’ statehood and for whom Bentonville and Benton County were named. The project team has worked with area historians to ensure that the development’s identity reflects and respects these legacies, according to the release.
“The Hart reflects the spirit and history of Bentonville,” said Brian Shaw, development partner for Blue Crane. “In addition to its location on the town square, it acknowledges where this community began and honors the people and stories that continue to shape it. We imagined an identity that feels timeless and grounded, a reflection of both our community’s heritage and what’s next.”
The north side of the Bentonville Square was previously renovated in the 1980s, when most of the original buildings were torn down and rebuilt. The Hart is expected to meet the needs of a growing downtown and honor its historic foundations by returning to the inspiration of the building’s original 1880s facade design and the brick commercial architecture that was once prominent in the square.