re: NWA People: Are we in a boom?

Rents have gotten stupid in Fayetteville.

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Rental occupancy is in the high 90s in Fayetteville even with all the new units

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That is the sign of an economy that is boiling right along.

eh, the entrepreneurism is far behind still. There's some forward facing programs that are getting media coverage and hype but they're not putting viable products on the market.

There's a disconnect between the real world markets where a start up business that can be profitable and create jobs are at and where the investor class that thinks the internet is the only path to cashing out.

There's a lot of derivative efforts and internet 2.0 dream busts that are getting traction in the state but they aren't viable.

I got to look at Boots & Bling's financials, they got funded by a VC here in the state, it was one of their first. They had a nice ride on a fad, operated at a loss of almost $400k spent $500k in online marketing got over a million followers on social media, put a brick and mortar in Little Rock with their new round of funding and promptly projected a 600% growth in sales that I don't believe happened since they've shut their physical store down and haven't seemed to add much inventory.

Another funded venture doesn't appear to have any cashflow and their content production is barely anything.

Most of the VC in state is targeted towards acquisition of established companies and then trimming the fat and selling them off.

There's a lot of opportunity here if you can hurdle the roadblocks.


When are we getting our light rail? A&M only has 2 trains a day. They've got those passenger cars they use for sightseeing trips on the weekends. An extension to the H.O. from downtown Rogers over through NWAXX to Bville to the Airport would be nice. Give JB Hunt and Tyson a spur, the U. of A can connect on Dickson St.

I don't think the A&M train returns from Van Buren until about 8pm the 8-5 commuters would be cleared by then. Mass transit is a selling point for recruitment.

I drop by Fossil Cove once or twice a week myself.

Fossil Cove is THE indication that the region is doing well. A second rate industrial site where your famous neighbor is the sleaziest strip club for hundreds of miles?

And yet they are doing business hand over fist. Hell, I'm pitching an article about how well the local breweries are doing and if it gets a nibble then Fossil Cove is my selling point.

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Oh yeah, I forgot that the "Fayetteville is the armpit of NWA" guy's arguument was, "Bentonville's got Wal-Mart. Springdale has Tyson. Those aren't going anywhere. What does Fayetteville have?"

I gently reminded him about the University of Arkansas.

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Until the last 10 years or so, Fayetteville was the only real town up here with anything apart from a Walmart and good schools. Lots of folks relocating here for those big employers would choose to live here just because it at least had a good downtown and some larger city amenities.

Bentonville is doing really well for itself. It is a really nice little city right now, and I don't see it going anywhere but up.

Considering he made that statement about "what does Fayetteville have", it sounds like you were just talking to a dumbass.

As far as entrepreneurship locally, Acumen has done very well for itself. APEI was recently bought out by Cree from Raleigh, NC, and all indications are that they will remain in Fayetteville and expand their workforce and production. Picasolar and another solar firm are doing good things in Fayetteville as well. There is a nice core of silicon-carbide research and product development emerging from the tech park on the south side.

The state needs to recognize that Fayetteville is producing some world-class patents right now and invest heavily in the engineering program at UA.

The IMBA just named NWA a "regional ride center", the first such designation. That comes on the heels of Bentonville being named a Silver medal mountain biking center and Fayetteville being named bronze just last year. Look up the other cities on lists like that. Places in Colorado and Park City, UT, etc. The cycling culture here is as good as anywhere in the entire nation. Combined with the craft brew scene, people are finally recognizing Fayetteville and NWA are emerging as a little southern "slice of the mountain west" in a lot of ways.

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Fossil
And yet they are doing business hand over fist. Hell, I'm pitching an article about how well the local breweries are doing and if it gets a nibble then Fossil Cove is my selling point.

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Core has lapped Fosil Cove so many times it's not funny.

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Core has lapped Fosil Cove so many times it's not funny.

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In every category except quality.

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Cider and downtown Springdale.

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I guess there isn't suitable space left in downtown Fayetteville. It seems a way better fit here.

Apart from Legacy and The Dickson mixed use, when was the last time new retail/restaurant space was built downtown? It seems like somebody could make a killing with a few restaurant spaces in a new building along Block or even College between Center and Lafayette.

That street that runs behind the WAC where the parking structure is going would be prime for some redevelopment all the way up to block.

We could use a restaurant w/ a good view. I keep thinking someone will turn a house on Mt. Sequoyah into a small posh restaurant. Regulations and code enforcement would probably be a nightmare.

With a little tweaking the indoor club area in the south endzone could be an interesting restaurant experience.

The humidity here makes patios and roof decks kinda miserable for most of the year.

Spring street would make a good street for more restaurants and bars. The south side of the street has a few business uses already. The north side has a few homes and some co-op housing.