Bigger Chicken Coop

Not only will Tyson Foods Inc. keep its world headquarters in Springdale, but it won’t even be leaving its current location when it expands early next year.

Tyson Foods, the world’s largest meat company, has plans for a three-story, 90,000-SF expansion that will cost about $156 million. Additional parking will also be added at the Oaklawn Drive address.

The project will be done in about nine phases, with initial construction beginning early in 2004 and costing about $50 million. The new building will be on the east side of Tyson Foods’ current headquarters and will likely mean the removal of a service center at that site. There will be new space for research and development as well as additional office space.

The first phase of the project will have Tyson Foods officials asking for a rezoning of the property at the Springdale Planning Commission on June 3. Currently, the property is zoned for some commercial, industrial and residential development. Tyson Foods will ask for the property to become all commercial.

The second phase will be in either late July or early August when the company presents plans for a large-scale development.

We hear Tyson Foods will pre-qualify three general contractors that will be allowed to submit bids for the project.

The firm has needed to expand its offices since buying IBP Inc. in 2001, and there had even been whispers about the company looking in Florida as a possible site to relocate its general offices.