Page 7 - Commercial Real Estate Guide 2016

SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2016 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • CENTRAL ARKANSAS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE GUIDE 7W
Street to the intersection of Rockwood Drive and Arkansas 89.
“David’s Burgers will be opening in early April at the corner of Rockwood and High- way 89,” she said. “They have also built a shopping center with MedExpress (an ur- gent-care clinic) and Sports Clips. These are both open and are thriving, and Express RX is set to open soon.”
Exciting things are also on the horizon for the Cabot Parks and Recreation Depart- ment, with the Cabot Sports Center and Aquatic Center slated to open later this spring. Located at 1245 Bill Foster Memo- rial Highway, the 50-acre sports facility in- cludes a nine-field baseball complex with batting tunnels, a concession plaza and a playground, as well as two full-size football fields with a concession center. The state- of-the-art aquatic center promises 42,000 square feet of fun in the sun with water slides, a play pool, a lazy river and more. The complex is surrounded by a 0.75-mile- long paved walking trail.
An expansion of the Veterans Park Com- munity Center to include a 9,000-square- foot events center is also in the works; additions to the site’s fitness center will in- clude a 3,500-square-foot cardio and weight room, a new aerobic room, a new racquet- ball court and a new day care area.
Last year, the Cabot Public Library moved to a new location on Main Street, offering programs and opportunities for all ages.
“This state-of-the-art facility is a foot- print for people all over the state and surrounding areas to model if looking to build or relocate their current library,” Williams said. “The Cabot Public Library added new programs that have attracted visitors to our town, as well as the resi- dents of Cabot. During the first month of being open, there were over 500 visitors to the facility.”
As the community’s biggest employer, the Cabot Public School District plays an important role in the community, Williams said.
“With over 10,000 students that attend our school system, we have been recog- nized both nationally and on a state level for the many programs offered at all of our campuses,” she said.
As families move to the area to take advantage of the public schools, the com- munity continues to grow, creating more opportunities for the city’s thriving business community.
“Another attraction is for military fam- ilies that are stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. We house close to 40 percent of these families, and many of them decide to stay here after retirement,” she said. “With our close proximity to Little Rock, Cabot has the attraction of being a safe town with a hometown feel.”
LONOKE
Positioned along the Interstate 40 ship- ping corridor, this town of 4,229 serves as the county seat.
“We’re kind of the ‘front porch’ to the city, as well as to the Delta. We benefit from our proximity to [the Little Rock area], but we’re also a small, grass-roots community, founded in 1872,” said Adam Starks, presi- dent of the Lonoke Chamber of Commerce. “You drive downtown, and you get that historic, small-town feel. We’re an agricul- tural community, and that’s what drives our economy.”
Lonoke’s historic downtown offers a pic- turesque setting for many local business- es, with a few spots opening up for retail shops, businesses and restaurants. Central to this walkable area is the Chamber of Commerce, housed in the city’s old train depot.
Just a few miles north on Arkansas 31, new businesses have opened within the last couple of years, Starks said, including Hib- bett Sports, and additional space is avail- able for retail and restaurants. The area surrounding the intersection of Interstate 40 and Arkansas 31 is rapidly becoming central to the city’s economy, with hotels, restaurants, a Wal-Mart Supercenter and other businesses that serve both city resi- dents and travelers. Sonic Drive-In will soon move from its current location on Barnes Street to the southwest corner of the in- tersection.
While the town’s population has held steady for the last three decades, Stark said he believes the community is in a great position for growth. According to the lat- est estimates from the state Highway and Transportation Department, about 34,000 vehicles pass through Lonoke on Interstate 40 each day.
Until 2014, the city had only one exit ramp from the interstate, at Arkansas 31. The new exit at Arkansas 89 provides easy access to the western region of town, which includes a 328-acre Entergy Select Site that can be developed for industrial use.
“The possibilities are endless out there for retail, goods and services, and dining, as well as industrial,” Starks said, adding that he hopes to see the portion of Interstate 40 that passes through the town increase to six lanes in the coming years to better accommodate traffic.
“We’ve got a great economic ecosystem here. It’s very diverse, and there’s a great opportunity here for someone who has the vision to make it happen,” he said. “We are poised for growth that will serve our town and Lonoke County, as well as interstate travelers.”
CARLISLE
About 8 miles east of Lonoke and 35 miles east of Little Rock, this town of 2,204 is positioned on the fertile Grand Prairie, a
LINDA GARNER-BUNCH/ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Located at 1245 Bill Foster Memorial Highway, the Cabot Aquatic Center is slated to open later this spring. The site also includes sports complex with nine baseball fields, batting tunnels, a playground, two football fields and concession areas.
subregion of the Arkansas Delta, and lays claim to being the birthplace of rice-grow- ing in the prairie region.
“Carlisle is a safe community with a very low crime rate, wonderful schools, beautiful city parks and churches of several different denominations. Our proximity to Little Rock makes us an excellent bedroom community, allowing people to have small-town living but commute to work in 30 minutes,” said Ray Glover, mayor of the city.
The area is home to several agricultur- al-related businesses, including Riviana Rice Mill, Bigham Inc., Stratton Seed Co., Elder Drilling & Supply Co., International Har- vester, Lone Pine Farms, D.L. Kittler Inc. and Precision Ag Inc., as well as several dining and fast-food establishments.
“Carlisle’s greatest strength is the school system. Per capita, the Carlisle Public Schools graduate more professional stu- dents, such as doctors, dentists and law- yers, but we also provide students with vocational educations so they can have a good quality of life and make a good liv- ing,” Glover said, adding that Carlisle was chosen in 2013 as the Quality of Life Award winner for towns with populations of fewer than 5,000 people by a statewide business magazine.
The area offers plenty of opportunities
for retail, business and industrial growth, as well.
“We have a 1,000-acre megasite that has been chosen as a Select Site by Teamwork Arkansas,” Glover said. “This means that all 50 of the studies have been done, and the site is shovel-ready for industry.”
Adding to the area’s potential to support a thriving industrial and business economy is the Carlisle Municipal Airport — the only airport in the county — which is located directly across Interstate 40 from the Select Site.
“Over the last 10 years, we have devel- oped our airport into a general aviation facility and have appointed an airport com- mission to overlook operations,” Glover said. “We know, without a doubt, if we are to land an industry, our airport will play a large part in making that happen.”
Most of the town’s businesses are lo- cated south of Interstate 40 on U.S. 70. The newly built Bobby L. Glover Highway connects the two thoroughfares, providing additional land for future development, Glover said.
“Our motto is ‘Land Here,’ and it has three meanings,” he said. “We want you to move here, we have plenty of land for development, and you can actually land at our airport.”