HOW WE SEE IT: New Museum Will Add To Region

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The idea of a children’s museum in Northwest Arkansas has fluttered about for years. The region’s growth and diversity of population, combined with local business leaders’ push to add more employee attracting amenities to the regional menu, was fertile ground for such a development.

Last week, all the talk led to a real plan to develop the Amazeum for opening in 2015 on Northeast J Street in Bentonville, just down the street from the world-renowned, Walton family-backed Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

A project formerly known as The Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas, the Amazeum will break ground early next year, officials say, with a $10 million matching grant and a gift of land from the Walton Family Foundation and a new executive director in Sam Dean.

“This will be a place that’s a learning laboratory for kids and families, teachers and universities,” Dean said at a celebratory announcement in Bentonville. “We can learn about how people learn and engage children hands on.”

Officials described a 44,500-square-foot facility that will host interactive exhibits focused on the land, industries and people of Arkansas’ culture. It will include the so-called Tinkering Studio, a water area, a tree canopy visitors can climb in and a lab.

Business supporters say it’s not all fun and games. Such amenities are a necessity to draw the right workers to Northwest Arkansas to meet the needs of Walmart, Tyson Foods and the many other major and smaller businesses throughout the region.

“I am thoroughly convinced we can attract talent and win,” said Michael Harvey, chief operating officer of the Northwest Arkansas Council. The private group of business leaders promote projects they want to see happen in the region.

Donations total more than $20 million, according to figures revealed at the announcement. The people of Northwest Arkansas can expect to hear a lot more about the project moving forward in the months ahead.

These kinds of experiential facilities add tremendous support to the contention that life is good in Northwest Arkansas. The people living here know it and want the region on a continual upward trajectory. Done correctly, a children’s museum will not only draw more visitors to the region for longer stays, but also help convince today’s residents to stay here and potential employees to say yes to moving here. That’s important for the health of many businesses.

And good communities — with trails, fire and police, parks and the like — are more likely when the businesses that call them home are doing well.

Last week’s announcement is another bright spot for the future of Northwest Arkansas.

CASUALTIES OF WAR

To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.

Army Spc. Kyle P. Stoeckli, 21, of Moseley, Va., died June 1 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, from injuries suffered when his unit was attacked by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pfc. Mariano M. Raymundo, 21, of Houston, Texas, died June 1 in Sharan, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.