LOWELL -- The Planning Commission approved Monday night a seven-story tower that the mayor said could bring more than 1,000 jobs to Northwest Arkansas.
Officials representing J.B. Hunt Transport Services presented the building's development plans during the meeting. It will be at the company's business park at 615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive.
Tall development
Hunt Ventures, a company owned by the Hunt family and separate from J.B. Hunt Transport Services, is constructing a 10-story building to be used as office space on Pinnacle Hills Parkway in Rogers. Officials have claimed the tower will be the largest in Northwest Arkansas once completed.
Source: Staff report
Brad Jester, J.B. Hunt facilities manager, said preliminary plans show the building housing about 150,000 square feet of space. He said the company's business park already houses a five-story and a four-story building.
The project could start as soon as July, Jester said. He said the completion date is expected for early 2017.
Mayor Eldon Long said the project will be good for Lowell.
"Lowell has seen a huge benefit from J.B. Hunt being headquartered here," Long said. "We are excited that they have grown to this size."
Long said the office building is expected to bring about 1,500 jobs to the region.
J.B. Hunt's website states it employs 14,500 people in 400 facilities across the country. It also states it's one of the largest transportation logistics companies in North America. It was incorporated in 1961 and became a publicly held company in 1983.
Officials said the tower will be one of the tallest in Northwest Arkansas.
"We truly are developing a skyline next to I-49," Long said.
Thomas C. Oppenheim, project manager for CEI, said the building will be between Interstate 49 and current buildings at the business park. CEI Engineering of Bentonville has been contracted for the project. The building will be for an office, Oppenheim said during the meeting. He said there will not be an increase in truck or delivery traffic.
The commission also approved rezoning land on the J.B. Hunt campus for an additional parking lot. The land was rezoned from residential-commercial to business park. No one spoke in opposition or in favor of the zoning change.
James Milner, planning commissioner, noted there was a large buffer zone between the parking lot and other properties. Documents filed with the city describe a wooded lot in the vicinity.
"This looks good to me," Milner said about the rezoning.
The large-scale development was approved contingent on J.B. Hunt working with city staff on a traffic study along with any possible drainage concerns. J.B. Hunt also has agreed to help pay costs for updating Apple Blossom Road near the facility.
Teresa Moss can be contacted by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWATeresaM
NW News on 05/19/2015