The image is getting sharper.
A different Springdale is on the rise, as illustrated last week with the topping out ceremony at Arkansas Children's Northwest.
The full skeleton of that 230,000-square-foot structure now towers over what was once barren land near the Arvest Ballpark, which was itself mostly barren land not all that many years ago.
That part of the city is undergoing tremendous change with those major investments.
The ballpark, home to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, has enhanced regional sports offerings.
A Springdale campus for Northwest Arkansas Community College is planned on land adjacent to the ballpark. It will ease access to NWACC's offerings in Washington County.
Mercy Northwest Arkansas also announced plans last week to build a "multi-specialty medical campus" in western Springdale at Interstate 49 and Elm Springs Road. Although plans are far from specific, this facility, too, is part of the growing investment in medical services throughout Northwest Arkansas but particularly in Springdale.
All around the city, smaller developments have gone in to support these larger projects. They will serve food or fuel or provide other services to those who travel to any Springdale destination.
Few developments in Springdale have been as highly anticipated as the new Children's Hospital, which is scheduled to open in January 2018.
A couple hundred people were on the site last week to sign the steel beam that was lifted to the highest point of the building that will house the pediatric hospital.
Clinics and labs, an emergency department, operating rooms, 24 inpatient beds and more are planned to serve the children of Northwest Arkansas.
Finally, families that have had to shuttle sick children to Little Rock for services will be able to get them treatment right here.
Little Rock-based Arkansas Children's Hospital is world-renowned and there is no reason not to expect the same level of care and dedication from the Northwest Arkansas hospital.
The expansion into this region is an obvious response to the population growth here, but there's another element that shouldn't be ignored. Northwest Arkansas people, many of whom have long supported Childrens Hospital's efforts in Little Rock, are generously backing the local project.
Millions of dollars in donations have streamed in to help build the hospital, projected to cost $167 million to build and hundreds of millions more to operate.
Donations to the effort stand at around $53 million, including the generous donation of land from the George family, $15 million from Tyson Foods and the Tyson family, $8 million from Wal-Mart and the Walmart Foundation, $6 million from JB Hunt Transport and the Hunt family. Lots of companies, families and individuals have pledged money, often at $1 million each, to infuse money into the project.
It has been an impressive outpouring of support, some prompted by community pride but much of it triggered by personal experience.
Gary George, one of the George family members who donated the 37-acre site, said again last week that he has a son and grandson who are here today because of Children's Hospital.
"You all in Northwest Arkansas have spoken from your heart," he said.
People like him don't have to be convinced of what this hospital can mean to Northwest Arkansas and to Springdale specifically. They know firsthand.
The fundraising goal is $70 million and anyone can help provide the remaining $17 million in contributions that are needed. Any amount will help serve the region's children.
Contact the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation office in Springdale or go online to www.archildrens.org/northwest or to www.giving.archildrens.org.
Commentary on 10/02/2016