Residential development on agenda

Commission to consider mixed use of downtown Emma Avenue property

SPRINGDALE — A new, mixed- use development wants to add nearly 140 residential units and six commercial spaces on East Emma Avenue.

The Planning Commission on Tuesday will consider plans for Via Emma, a development by Blue Crane Development Group, said Patsy Christie, director of the city’s Planning Department.

The city adopted a master plan for downtown in 2015, which is evidenced in the current development there, Christie said. An update is underway, which will take a closer look at housing needs downtown, she added.

The downtown areas in most cities historically were the nucleus of the cities, she said. Those areas still hold the identity of the city. Christie noted that when people think of a town, they usually remember a downtown square — as in Fayetteville and Bentonville.

“It’s more difficult in Springdale because we don’t have a square,” she said. “But we’ve got a larger area we focus on.”

Emma Avenue stretches about 2 miles through the downtown area from North Thompson Street to Old Missouri Road.

Jeff Cooperstein, a senior research assistant with the Center for Economic and Business Research at the University of Arkansas, said downtown areas in modern times can help stem the problem of urban sprawl.

Housing, commercial development and roads are hallmarks of the sprawl as it reaches out with unrestricted growth over large expanses of land, with little concern for urban planning.

Cooperstein said the problem is apparent in Northwest Arkansas.

Transportation costs and traffic can be cut when people live where they work and play, he continued. Revitalization of downtown areas can put people in one area where they live, work and play.

Providing a variety of amenities draws people to the downtown areas, Cooperstein and Christie agreed. And getting people to live downtown helps make the area vibrant.

“Downtown Springdale has been leaning into their master plan for six years,” said Jill Dabbs, executive director of the Downtown Springdale, a group spearheading revitalization efforts. “We are about to start realizing the true benefits of good planning and perseverance.”

PARKED

The location of the Via Emma project will be part of its draw, Christie said. It will sit across the street from Luther George Park, which is going through its own renaissance.

Longtime Springdale residents will remember the spot of Via Emma as the home of Layman’s Furniture. Most recently, the spot held the Archer Learning Center of the Springdale School District.

Via Emma will include four separate buildings, with parking in the middle, Christie continued. Apartments facing the park will feature balconies, she said.

“Having eyes on the park, living close to a park, usually creates more of a community feel,” she said.

Dabbs on Friday reported more than half of the money needed for the park’s renovation has been raised, and officials hope to break ground next year.

A tight housing market has increased the demand and the cost of single-family homes in the region, according to the Arvest Skyline Report. Those who cannot find homes to suit them are moving into multifamily developments, the report continues.

Vacancy rates for multifamily units are at an historical low, even with so many new units entering the market over the past few years, the report reads. The report is prepared biannually by the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Developers say all their units in downtown Springdale are full. Lofts at The Watson and Little Emma, which both provide residential and commercial space downtown, have opened in the past year. Their developers say all 32 residential units are leased.

A check on Apartments. com shows rental prices in the buildings could range from $690 a month to $1,400 a month.

Blue Crane has another mixed-use project under construction on Emma Avenue, which locals recognize as the Ryan’s Department Store.

The 69,000- square- foot space will include four stories with 55 apartments, two restaurants, several commercial spaces and a public gathering space called Traveling Public, featuring candle-pin bowling.

Dabbs expects its completion in the spring.

Representatives of Blue Crane, which is associated with the Walton family, were not available by email or phone calls last week.

Local developers also are discussing several other mixed-use opportunities downtown, including loft areas above the restaurants and stores housed in historic buildings, Christie said.

“Living downtown is just cool,” Cooperstein said. And as life comes back to the downtown area, he expects to see people looking to those loft areas for development. Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at joenks@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.

“Having eyes on the park, living close to a park, usually creates more of a community feel.”

— Patsy Christie, director of Springdale’s Planning Department