SPRINGDALE -- New business parks could increase the city's revenue and create jobs, according to an official.
The Planning Commission forwarded to City Council a final plat for one business park and approved a development plan for another at Tuesday's meeting. Mathias Shopping Centers is the owner and developer for both properties.
Commission Action
Springdale’s Planning Commission approved:
• A development plan for Carpet One on the northeast corner of Wagon Wheel Road and Wildwood Lane.
• A preliminary plat for a business park between Interstate 49 and South 56th Street and south of Don Tyson Parkway.
• A preliminary plat for a subdivision between Butterfield Coach Road and Old Missouri Road and north of Don Tyson Parkway.
• Rezoning 1006 N. Thompson St. from general commercial district to institutional district.
• Rezoning property on South Downum Road, north of west County Line Road, from agricultural district to general commercial district.
• Rezoning property between Interstate 49 and South 56th Street and south of Don Tyson Parkway from thoroughfare commercial district, general commercial district and neighborhood office district to thoroughfare commercial district.
• Rezoning 894 S. 40th St. from general commercial district to light industrial district.
Source: Staff report
Creating business parks can cause an increase in city revenue from property tax and sales tax, said Patsy Christie, city director of planning and community development. Business parks also can create jobs and opportunities for people to visit from outside the region.
The final plat is for a business park on the east side of South 48th Street, south of Har-Ber Avenue and east of Interstate 49, according to the final plat. The 30.74-acre property is zoned thoroughfare commercial district. The proposed use is a commercial subdivision.
The property is divided into six sections on the final plat. The sizes range from 2.97 acres to 8.47 acres.
A Sam's Furniture also is on the property, said Arthur Thurman, president and chief operating officer for Mathias Properties. Buildings in the business park would be build to suit the businesses, which would lease space.
Retail, wholesale, restaurants and medical clinics are examples of what could go into the business park, which is visible from the interstate, Thurman said. The company is in talks with several businesses, but he wouldn't name them.
The timeline for constructing buildings depends on when businesses want to come into the business park, Thurman said.
Commissioners also approved a variance for an off-site monument sign for the development.
The development plan is for a business park west and north of Skyler Street and east of 56th Street, according to the plan. The property is zoned neighborhood commercial district and general commercial district.
The property is split into spaces for 11 buildings, which range in size from 6,000 square feet to 52,093 square feet, according to the plan. Ten of the buildings are for proposed offices and warehouses, while one of the buildings is for proposed office space.
This is the last section of the Ozark Business Park, Thurman said. It's accessible from the north, south, east and west, because it's near U.S. 412 and the interstate.
The company is already speaking with people who might want to put businesses in the spaces, Thurman said. He wouldn't name those businesses.
The spaces would be leased to tenants, Thurman said. Company officials hope to begin construction as soon as possible. The buildings would probably be finished within one year from when construction starts, he said.
Commissioners also approved and forwarded to City Council rezoning the property for the development from neighborhood commercial district to general commercial district. They also approved a variance to delete screening.
The development of business parks is about location and desirability of locations, said Kathy Deck, director of the Center of Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas.
"It's a constant struggle to be in the right place," she said.
Easy access to a major thoroughfare is good for business parks, because it allows for the movement of goods and people more easily, Deck said.
In the second half of 2015, there was a 6.5 percent vacancy rate in office/warehouse space in Springdale compared to 8.4 percent in Northwest Arkansas, according to The Skyline Report from the Center of Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas. At the same time in Springdale, there was a 7.6 percent vacancy rate in office and a 12.5 percent vacancy rate in retail.
NW News on 05/04/2016