Downtown Bentonville Master Plan City of Bentonville & Main Street Bentonville Downtown by Design December 2004 Downtown by Design Acknowledgements Mayor Terry Coberly City Council Main Street Bentonville Ed Austin Bob Haynes, Director Mary Baggett Bryan Bennett Bentonville / Bella Vista Chamber of Danny Brewer Commerce Scott Comiskey Ed Clifford, Executive Director Jim Grider Rich Davis, Economic Development Director Bob McCaslin Chris Sooter Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission Planning Commission Bernie Brugman, Executive Director Karen Clark Tom Rife Mark Porter Soderquist Center for Leadership, Visioning Mike Thedford Workshop Joseph Thompson James Stanley Harrison French Architecture, Renderings Buddy Vernetti Sand Creek Engineering, Renderings Board of Adjustment Rod Sanders Committee Members Maren Schmidt Shirley Ackerman Ryan Parks Brenda Anderson Kevin Pawlik City Staff Janeane Ball John Roberts Troy Galloway, Community Development Director Jeb Ball Mike Robinson Shelli Rushing, Long Range Planning Manager Becky Booth Tennie Russell Brian Bahr, Current Planner Mike Brown David Short Danielle Semsrott, Planning Technician Lindsey Carver Peggy Smith Annette Brightwell, Development Services Joan Clifford Richard Smith Technician Dan Cole Beth Strickland James Allen, Chief of Police Geneva Currin Steve Trolinger Charlie Barnes, John Ellis Steuart Walton Mike Churchwell, Street Engineer Frank Farrer Jim Walton Hadi Dudley, Library Harrison French Darren Warren Cindy Suter, Library Director David Goodman David Wilgus Doug Glaysher, Parks Director Valerie Griffis Dale Shastid, Police Johnny Haney Diane Shastid, Planning Secretary Kevin Harrison Britt Vance, Public Works Director Kevin Holland Kevin Kuehn Dana Lawrence Randy Lawson Valerie Lawson Phyllis Long Steve Marquess Stan Moore Lee Myane City of Bentonville i Downtown by Design Table of Contents 1 Purpose and Study Area..................................................................................1 Purpose........................................................................................................................... 1 Process ........................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area Description...................................................................................................... 2 Gateways ........................................................................................................................ 5 2 Downtown Profile ...........................................................................................7 Downtown Demographics.................................................................................................. 7 Downtown Land Use......................................................................................................... 11 Promotions and Activities .................................................................................................. 12 Transportation and Circulation........................................................................................... 13 3 Situational Assessment...................................................................................15 Circulation and Linkages ................................................................................................... 15 Image and Identity........................................................................................................... 16 Economic Conditions......................................................................................................... 17 Architecture and Streetscape............................................................................................. 18 Future Development ......................................................................................................... 19 Infrastructure................................................................................................................... 20 4 A Vision for Downtown ...................................................................................21 Vision Development Process .............................................................................................. 21 Visions for the Eye and Heart ............................................................................................ 22 Visions for Community and Culture .................................................................................... 23 Visions for Business .......................................................................................................... 23 Visions that Engage and Excite .......................................................................................... 24 Visions for Getting the Word Out ....................................................................................... 24 The Big Picture................................................................................................................. 25 5 The Plan...........................................................................................................27 Gateways and Intersections .............................................................................................. 27 Public Art and Culture ....................................................................................................... 30 Public Investment............................................................................................................. 31 Aesthetics........................................................................................................................ 32 Human Scale.................................................................................................................... 37 Circulation and Parking ..................................................................................................... 41 New and Redevelopment .................................................................................................. 43 Business Mix .................................................................................................................... 44 6 Implementation Strategy................................................................................51 Circulations and Linkages.................................................................................................. 51 Promotion and Action ....................................................................................................... 53 Economic Development..................................................................................................... 55 Development and Redevelopment...................................................................................... 57 Architecture and Streetscape............................................................................................. 59 Image and Identity........................................................................................................... 62 City of Bentonville ii Downtown by Design Appendices Appendix A: Visioning Session Summary Appendix B: Downtown Demographics Appendix C: Existing Land Use Map Appendix D: Sidewalk Inventory Map Appendix E: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Appendix F: Visual Preference Survey Results Appendix G: Architectural and Streetscape Plan City of Bentonville iii Downtown by Design 1 Purpose and Study Area The City of Bentonville is undergoing a significant transition. Bentonville is no longer a small Arkansas town. A growth spurt began in the late 1990’s when the population increased by 31% between 1995 and 2000. The trend continued between 2000 and 2003, with a population increase of 27% in just three years. Downtown The projection for the city by the year 2025 is 62,000. Bentonville Timeline The combination of rapid growth and the home of one of the largest employers in 1836 the world, Wal-Mart, puts Bentonville in a position to make a name and place for Bentonville chosen as County itself. Seat. Downtown Bentonville was the location of the original town in 1836 and the heart 1862 of the community. It was a place where people shopped, worked, lived and Downtown is largely destroyed by congregated. It was the “place to be” on Saturday afternoons. fire related to Civil War action. Over the years the role of downtown changed. The movie theater closed, 1883 restaurants located where they had more land for parking, and new subdivisions Bentonville Branch Railroad opens were built on the outskirts of town. The city was losing its center of community. linking to Frisco’s main line in Rogers. Purpose 1888 First Benton County Fair held in The city and other civic organizations have attempted several efforts to guide Bentonville. downtown development. In 1996, the University of Arkansas Community Design Center prepared a Downtown Study that presented a plan for renovation of the 1893 downtown square. In 2000, the City adopted its General Plan which included Henry Star gang robs the People’s several recommendations regarding downtown Bentonville. In summer 2004, a Bank of Bentonville. National Main Street Team visited Bentonville Main Street to analyze the organization and develop recommendations for the square. These documents 1901 offer excellent recommendations and concepts, however, they are fragmented. Bentonville celebrates orchard business with first Fruit Fair. The purpose of the Downtown Master Plan is to gather all of the concepts, ideas and recommendations, add additional data, analysis, research,