Main Street doesn’t provide much insight into the Benton County town of Centerton.
A quick trip downtown offers visitors a look at a City Hall that Mayor Bill Edwards admits, without much coaxing, needs an upgrade. Across the street is an old-school barbershop, complete with striped barber pole. Next door to that is a flea market.
There you have it.
None of it offers proof that Centerton holds the distinction as one of the of fastest growing towns in Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville, Bentonville and Rogers get the headlines, but Centerton gets the biggest bump in percentage of new people.
Population between the 2000 and 2010 census periods jumped by nearly 345 percent.Numbers from business-data site USA.com show this was one of the largest booms in the country for towns of at least 9,000 people, which Centerton had way back in 2010.
Today? Judging from sewer hook-ups, Edwards figures the population has surely topped 11,000, which would put Centerton not terribly far behind Arkadelphia, Batesville and Mountain Home. You know - towns that people in other parts of the state have either heard of or visited.
What Centerton might lack in name recognition or downtown amenities, it more than makes up for in proximity to all things Wal-Mart. Headquarters of the world’s largest retailer is four miles away. So is, according to Centerton’s website, Wal-Mart’s largest warehouse. XNA (Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport) is about 5 miles away.
This means there are people in Centerton and plenty of houses to accommodate them. Beyond that there isn’t much else. People sleep here. They tend to shop, eat and work elsewhere.
Edwards is hoping a handful of recent development announcements will help change the town’s status as bedroom community and little brother to Bentonville and Rogers. The Bentonville School District is to build a second high school, in Centerton, that will serve approximately 2,250 students in 2016. Wal-Mart has plans for a Neighborhood Market, set to open in fall of 2014.
Schools and Wal-Marts are typically catalysts for other developments. Look at the banks, restaurants and other businesses that followed the opening of Springdale Har-Ber High if you want to get a sense of the impact a new school can have. Pick any town in Northwest Arkansas that has a newly minted Neighborhood Market, and you’ll see restaurants, banks and other commercial projects popping up nearby.
Edwards has noticed. He’s looking forward to what those future projects could mean for Centerton, especially local tax revenue. Generating more tax money would allow the town, which currently has a $2.6 million budget, to afford more employees and invest more into its infrastructure.It’s difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison, but to put that budget figure in context, consider that Arkadelphia, at close to 11,000 people, has a budget of more than $15 million (including money generated by water and sewer fees).
Arkansas 102 leading into town from Bentonville is being widened. That project is scheduled to be completed in 2014. Soon, Centerton will open a new senior-rehabilitation facility. The town recently welcomed a Casey’s General Store. Calls have been coming in to inquire about office and warehouse space. There isn’t any, but the mayor is quick to point out there is plenty of available land and he figures it’s probably cheaper now than it will be.
City employees were recently asked by Edwards to put together a wish list for restaurants and retail and commercial projects they want in Centerton. Edwards, the sort of mayor who meets with residents for coffee once a month, has been writing letters to restaurants in hopes of piquing their interest in Centerton. A few have responded, while other businesses have, Edwards is proud to say, reached out to the town unsolicited.
Follow-up phone calls are going to a few of the more promising or popular prospects.
A Braum’s would top the mayor’s list of personal favorites. He thinks the town has a good shot at a Taco Bell to go with its McDonald’s and Sonic. Non-fast-food options also would be nice.
Truth be told, Edwards isn’t picky.
“We can have them all,” Edwards said. “That’s fine with me.”
What Edwards wants more than anything are businesses that see the same potential for growth in Centerton that he does. Folks who are willing to look beyond what they might see on a their first trip down Main Street.
If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or e-mail him at [email protected]
Business, Pages 71 on 11/03/2013