Vendor park OK’d for market

BENTONVILLE — An outdoor vendor park at 8th Street Market will soon feature food trucks serving Brightwater students and staff as well as welcome other community members to the site.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday a permit for 8th Street Market to have an outdoor vendor park with up to four tenants.

Two food trucks are working through the city’s application process to set up at the market’s park, Daniel Hintz, owner of The Velocity Group, said after the meeting. The Velocity Group is developing

the market.

The food trucks will be in the southeast corner of the market building at 801 SE Eighth St., according to meeting documents.

The food trucks will be a counterpoint to Bike Rack Brewery, who was the first announced tenant of the market, Hintz said. The brewery’s first location is at 410 SW A St.

“We wanted to get, as quickly as possible, some basic services while we’re on-boarding the rest of the tenants and the rest of the building starts to come alive,” he said. “Those food trucks become a really nice amenity to those folks who are already working out of the facility.”

Brightwater occupies about one third of the market. The other space will develop with small businesses and serve as a space for entrepreneurial food concepts, Market officials have said.

Bite NW Arkansas, a twoday food festival, will be the first large event at the market. It will be June 22-23.

Hintz said more food trucks than just the four “more permanent” spots will be involved in events and festivals at the market.

An opening date for the brewery hasn’t been announced yet, but the food trucks should be operational by June, he said. Both amenities will be available for the public.

No one spoke during the public hearing regarding the permit.

Commissioners also approved development plans for I Street Luxury Apartments after tabling them March 21 when details regarding who was going to pay for a needed traffic light hadn’t been finalized.

The 236-unit complex will be built at the southwest corner of Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard and Southwest I Street — just northeast of the Bentonville Community Center.

A street light is needed at Southwest I Street and Southwest 41 Street.

BC Center LLC, Luxury Apartment developer, will pay 25 percent, the city will pay 50 percent, and city officials are requesting that Mercy Clinic — that is planned south of Southwest 41st Street — will pay the other 25 percent, Beau Thompson, city planner, informed commissioners Tuesday.

The three entities will share the cost because they are the major beneficiaries of the traffic signal, city officials said.

Mercy Clinic hasn’t agreed to pay that cost yet, but that’s what the city has asked them to pay, Thompson said.

The light is expected to cost $250,000.

Commissioner Scott Eccleston asked if the Luxury Apartment developer was aware of the Parks and Recreation Department plans to build a tennis court complex to the west of it and the lights that would accompany it. Thompson said they knew. “We’ve talked about that since day one,” he said.

Hintz said more food trucks than just the four “more permanent” spots will be involved in events and festivals at the market.