Fort Smith has seen a burst of construction in 2018 and 2019 and many of the projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Old spaces renovated into new places are the theme for most of the projects downtown. There is new residential and retail space being constructed in the old Sears department store building downtown, and a new event center/catering space is being opened up at the former Shipley Bakery, now called the Bakery District.

While many know the U.S. Marshals Museum building on Riverfront Drive is expected to be completed this fall, here are the Times Record staff's top 10 picks of major construction and amenity improvement efforts that Fort Smith can expect to also be done by the end of the year, or shortly thereafter.

Bakery District

Petree Construction is still on schedule to complete construction on the roughly $3 million Bakery District project downtown on North Sixth Street by mid-November.

In the process of tearing down walls and opening up the space, Griffin Hanna of KMW Properties says everyone on the development team has been "blown away" by the existing interior architecture.

"As we’ve slowly demo’d out walls, old wiring, and small rooms we didn’t realize how cool and unique the open spaces really are. We’ve changed our construction plans, a few times now," Hanna wrote in an email update.

In the event room, for example, developers have decided to reroof and add acoustical baffling around the entire ceiling to create another great venue for Fort Smith to host concerts, weddings, or corporate/nonprofit functions, Hanna noted. KMW Properties is already scheduling events to start this December and looking to lease available space at the Bakery.



Mystery eatery on Rogers

The mystery eatery and courtyard project in the 700 block of Rogers Avenue downtown next to the Core Brewing Public House has made long strides recently with an expectation of completion in November.

Niko Koliastasis, one of the developers of the three buildings between 701-709 Rogers that have sat empty for many years, said this week they have mostly completed interior renovations and have installed a roof on one of the buildings. Now they are just waiting on approvals for the actual storefront portions and then will begin the bidding process. Shawn Gard, Fort Smith property maintenance supervisor, noted in the most recent Central Business Improvement District board packet the next inspection is scheduled for July 8.

Once thought to possibly be a coffee shop or a bistro, Koliastasis simply said they are keeping their cards close on this one still but "it is a unique concept."

Fort Smith Brewing Co. taproom

Fort Smith Brewing Co. at Chaffee Crossing is in the process of renovations to Suite C103 at 115 N. 10th Street in Brunswick Place next to AJ’s Oyster House for the brewery’s first offsite taproom. Quentin Willard, founder of the brewery located at 7500 Fort Chaffee Blvd. in the Chaffee Crossing, confirmed this week an application has been made to the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for "Small Brewery Tap Room."



The HUB

The HUB at Providence, an $11 million neighborhood-like development that will include 23 townhouses, 20 apartments, 8,800-square-feet of commercial space and 2,500-square-feet of restaurant space, is just a few weeks from seeing completion on its first residential section.

Developer Rod Coleman of ERC Properties thinks it could be the new standard of living in the western Arkansas River Valley area for millennials, baby boomers and empty nesters. The HUB has been in the works for about three years. Coleman said Friday the single-family homes will be done around July 15; the multi-family homes will be done around Sept. 1 and the commercial buildings are scheduled for completion around Nov. 1.

REVEL, the restaurant, is scheduled to be done at The HUB early next spring.

Village at Heritage

Development of the Village at Heritage, a walkable neighborhood with both commercial and residential space, has also progressed swiftly on the Barling side of Chaffee Crossing across from the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction in late August 2018. Meadows Construction is the general contractor.

Designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and closer relationships with neighbors, the $11 million, 86,000-square-foot project on medical college land is expected to be completed this summer to offer more residential space and amenities for physician students at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and The Arkansas Colleges of Health Science.

Two three-story buildings reminiscent of the New Orleans French quarter will offer retail space on the first level and about 59,000 square feet of residential space on the second and third levels for students at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE).

Plenty of inquiries for retail space have come through the medical colleges’ office, according to Susan Devero, executive director of Community Relations for ACHE.

Fifteen cottages are also being planned for development by Rick Mooney Construction. Mooney told the Times Record in February the homes will be about 1,800 square feet and create a “pocket neighborhood” with a concentration on walkability much like those in Seaside, Fla., and Carlton Landing on Lake Eufala in Oklahoma. The cottages would be available to both students and the general public, likely on a leased basis.

With the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical College and the newer Arkansas Colleges of Health Science now under construction, about 1,000 students are expected to be on campus by 2021. A master’s degree in biomedicine is becoming available this fall.

Downtown green space

The heart of Garrison Avenue is set to get some green, and hopefully some events to go along with it.

A parking lot with green space for an art installation and at least one live performance stage is slated to hopefully be completed by November, said First National Bank Fort Smith President Sam Sicard. First National Bank is funding the construction of the lot and green space, which will replace the Carney Building, 20-28 North Sixth Street, and the Catsavis family's building, 601 Garrison Ave.

"It gives the sense of a town square, a focal point for our downtown," said Central Business Improvement District panelist Phil White.

Gateway Park

Construction of Gateway Park at the intersection of Rogers and Garrison avenues is underway and expected to be completed in September.

Gateway Park, which will replace the Universal Chapel as the landmark at the eastern entry point to downtown Fort Smith, is currently under construction. Once completed, the $750,000 project will include a Judge Isaac C. Parker statue, green space and a walking area.

The Judge Parker statue will be accompanied by statues that portray Fort Smith Public Schools co-founder John Carnall and Sisters of Mercy founder Mother Mary Teresa Farrell, said John McIntosh of 64.6 Downtown. They will be completed in September and installed in early October, McIntosh said.

"It'll be a nice park for people to come sit, reflect, think and enjoy downtown," said former Sebastian County Circuit Judge Jim Spears.

Majestic

The building formerly known as The Sound Room and Neumeier's Rib Room & Beer Garden is getting a facelift.

Located at 817 Garrison Ave., the building is set to reopen by the end of the summer as Majestic after renovation under George's Majestic Lounge owner Brian Crowne. The revamped venue will feature a larger performance stage, a reoriented bar and renovations that will allow touring acts to perform there year-round.

Crowne said he plans to attract nationally touring artists to Fort Smith with Majestic.

"It may be where we can have one band play Majestic one night and then play George’s in Fayetteville the next night," he said.

Uptown Courtyard

The final months of construction have commenced for Uptown Courtyard, which at the beginning of 2020 will bring apartment spaces to the east side of Garrison Avenue.

Uptown Courtyards, 901-911 Garrison Ave., will contain 12 upstairs apartment spaces and a courtyard. Petree Construction is currently in its third phase of renovation, which will cost about $3.6 million, for the project.

The apartments will have a balcony that crosses over the courtyard for residents and tenants to use. Both the apartments and the courtyard will sit next to Garrison Commons.

City bike share program

Two bike rental stations are slated to open for the Fort Smith riverfront trails and parks.

Fort Smith is set to begin a contract with Zagster Inc. on Aug. 9 for the rental stations, which combined will hold 10 bikes for public use. They are currently contracted to operate through at least 2022 at an annual cost of $18,000.

Zagster provides rental bikes and scooters to communities through equipment, software and a mobile app.

Zagster Sales Director David Reed, Frontier Metropolitan Planning Organization Director Reese Brewer and Sam Sicard vouched for the bikeshare program to Mayor George McGill, saying similar programs have reduced the risk of heart attack and increased overall metabolism in communities.

"Offering low cost, easily accessible bicycles not only improves long-term health outcomes but also enhances the quality of life for residents and the visitor experience alike," Brewer wrote McGill. "We support innovative solutions and continued improvements to transportation challenges."

Assistant Editor John Lovett and reporter Max Bryan contributed to this report.