Arkansas Community College to Build

Construction Begins on Shewmaker Center

Northwest Arkansas Community College recently purchased three building permits valued at a combined $10.16 million to build new facilities at its 17-acre Bentonville campus.

NWACC is located just east of Interstate 540 near the Arkansas Highway 62/102 exit.

The $4.62 million Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies will be 44,000 SF at 1100 SE Eagle Way. NWACC’s workforce development programs include marketing and enhancement of work skills.

Construction has just begun on the Shewmaker Center.

Another project includes a 13,000-SF expansion at the north end of the campus providing additional space for business offices, institutional technology, art, music and graphic design departments. That project was completed in January.

A third project is a 40,000-SF expansion at the west end for science laboratories, allied health, distance-learning program and criminal-justice departments. It should be completed by January 2003.

Oakridge Builders Inc. of Springdale is the general contractor on all three projects.

NWACC had 4,300 students enrolled in the fall semester of 2001.

Walker Construction Adding to Brightwood

Tommy Walker Construction Co. of Rogers recently purchased 12 building permits valued at a combined $1.77 million to build more Bentonville homes.

Eleven of the new homes Walker Construction is planning will be in the southwest Bentonville subdivision of Brightwood near Arkansas Highway 12. All of the new homes will be on SW Pine Avenue.

There are 143 lots at Brightwood. Homes there will range from a minimum of 1,600 SF to 2,200 SF and will be priced from about $110,000-$150,000.

Another Walker Construction permit was for Simsberry subdivision on 606 SW Sims Drive.

Neurosurgeon Moving to Millennium Place

Kirk Elsass and John David Lindsey of L&E Equity Investments of Fayetteville closed Aug. 2 on an $851,000 sale of a north Fayetteville commercial building to a local neurosurgeon.

Dr. James Blankenship purchased the 6,500-SF building on lots 15 and 16 on Millennium Drive at Millennium Place office complex near the Joyce Boulevard and Arkansas Highway 265 intersection.

Blankenship’s practice was located at 3873 Parkview Drive, Suite 3. His plans are to use half of the building and have a physical therapist in the other half.

L&E also recently sold 3,500 SF of a 9,000-SF building at Millennium Place for $130,000 to Fayetteville lawyer Blair Brady.

Pinkley Also Building More Bentonville Homes

Paul Pinkley Construction of Bentonville recently purchased six building permits valued at a combined $616,000 to build more homes at a southwest Bentonville subdivision.

The homes at Kristyl Heights subdivision will be on SW Navajo Drive, SW Cheyenne Drive and SW Apache Drive. They will range from about 1,550-1,700 SF.

Dixie Development Adds to Signature

Dixie Development Inc. of Springdale recently purchased two building permits valued at a combined $500,000 to add to a south Springdale office park.

Phase II of Signature Square, located on Arkansas Highway 265 just south of the U.S. Highway 412 intersection, has an existing 40,000 SF. Dixie Development is adding another 16,000 SF.

The official addresses of the two new additions at Signature Square will be 2323 “B” and 2323 “C” S. Old Missouri Road.

Historic Fayetteville Building Sold to Local Businessman

Jim Benton of Pace Industries recently purchased the former Levi Strauss & Co. building in south Fayetteville for $425,000 from a New York businessman.

The building, located at 1800 Stirman Ave. just south of the Pinnacle Foods facility, has been vacant since Levi Strauss closed the plant in 1998. It had served as a large employment base for several decades. It was one of the largest manufacturers of denim jeans and jackets, hiring mainly women to work the sewing machines.

It is 60,000-plus SF, including 8,000 SF of office space, 350 parking places and security fences. It is on 10 acres.

Lee Ward of Realty Concepts Inc. in Fayetteville was the sales agent on the transaction.

Benton is uncertain of his plans for the building.

BMP Continues Building At Blue Springs Village

BMP Development — consisting of Mark Marquess, Dan Dykema and Rick McCullough — on July 2 got six loans totaling $424,000 from First Security Bank of Fayetteville to add homes at a Beaver Lake subdivision.

Blue Springs subdivision, east of U.S. Highway 412 near the communities of Sonora and Nob Hill, has about 165 lots in the subdivision. Homes there will sell between $85,000-$145,000. The subdivision has a community-owned pool, clubhouse and park.

Hospital Renovating Surgical Prep Unit

Northwest Medical Center in Springdale on July 7 purchased a building permit valued at $400,000 for renovation projects.

Commerce Construction Co. of Springdale is the general contractor on the renovation of the hospital’s surgical prep unit.

Martin Custom Home Builders Continues Area Construction

The Fayetteville Police Department’s report regarding businesses that have either opened, closed, changed addresses or names, was erroneous in listing Martin Co. Custom Home Builders as closed, which was reprinted in the July 22 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.

Martin Custom Home Builders has been at its 4083 Shiloh Drive address for about seven months and continues its construction of homes in the Fayetteville and Springdale area.

Dixie Moving South

Ben Israel’s Dixie Development & Management will be moving its offices from south Springdale to north Fayetteville in late August.

Founded in 1993, Dixie Development is currently located at 4700 S. Thompson St. across U.S. Highway 71 from the Springdale Country Club. It’s new home will be at Commerce Business Park at the southwest intersection of Joyce Boulevard and Old Missouri Road.

Dixie Development is a total commercial developer from excavation, general contractor, real estate sales and management of properties.

Other Dixie Development properties include Sunbridge Center in Fayetteville and Signature Square in Springdale.