After a strong fourth quarter, state economic leaders are expecting to continue projects in 2024 that accommodate population growth, lure more industries and further the financial successes seen by the state.
Major projects for this year include renovations to the Northwest Arkansas National Airport; preparations for the northwest Arkansas metropolitan area that includes Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville to reach a population of 1 million; and the completion of 17 miles of drilling through Blakely Mountain to provide Hot Springs with water for generations.
Arkansas, known as the Natural State, has grown into a mountain biking tourism hotspot. (Northwest Arkansas Council)
State officials also want to keep Arkansas’ leading industries and manufacturers in aerospace, timber, metals, food, firearms and transportation equipment thriving.
Plans also call for economic organizations to create partnerships with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism to promote the state as an area that offers more than jobs.
“As a whole, Arkansas is strong,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “It is a place where people want to come.”
Work will continue on the $34 million terminal renovation project at the Northwest Arkansas National Airport this year, said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council.
Flights and enplanements are up at Northwest Arkansas National Airport. (Photo provided)
The council was established in 1993 by Sam Walton, J.B. Hunt, Don Tyson and other business leaders to create jobs, recruit industries, and improve health care and quality of life.
The renovation is a result of the rapid growth of both the area and the airport’s usage, Peacock said. The airport saw 1 million enplanements, or passengers boarding or leaving airplanes, last year. In 2022, there were 936,195 enplanements.
“The airport is growing rapidly,” Peacock said. “We’re trying to accommodate that growth.”
The airport averages 39 flights to 21 airports across the country and provides service by six airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The council is trying to recruit Southwest Airlines to offer service there too.
The renovation will see upgrades in its terminal with new elevators, escalators and stairwells; new baggage handling equipment; upgrades to Transportation Security Administration and airport security and police offices; and architectural improvements in the arrival hall and baggage claim area.
Alex English, XNA’s public affairs manager, said the renovation will take two years to complete.
The airport was originally created for business travelers who did not want to drive to Little Rock or Tulsa, Okla., before flying to their destinations. Now, Peacock said, there is a focus on recreational travel and cheaper fares at the airport.
Work continues on the Springdale Northern Bypass project, a $180 million extension of Arkansas 612. (Arkansas Department of Transportation)
Work also continues on the Springdale Northern Bypass project, a $180 million extension of Arkansas 612 from Arkansas 112 to U.S. 412 in northwest Arkansas.
The first phase of the bypass opened in April 2018. The second phase, a 5.4-mile project, should be completed by this summer.
“Our population growth created the need for the bypass,” Peacock said.
A portion of the project includes creating a better access road to the airport. A section of the two-lane road now leading to the airport often floods near Cave Springs.
Area officials are gearing up for the metro to soon top 1 million residents. The area is averaging 36 new people a day, Peacock said.
The boon is credited in part to companies such as Walmart and J.B. Hunt, which are headquartered in Bentonville and Lowell.
“We have these pillars,” he said of the Fortune 500 companies. “Compared to other regions, we have a low cost of living. This is a destination.”
The council will continue recruiting entrepreneurship to the area.
“We want to look at how we retain talent and not have people relocate,” he said. “You’re either recruiting or fighting an uphill battle.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks at Dassault Falcon Jet’s announcement of a planned $100 million expansion in Little Rock.
(Photo by Sarah DeClerk)
In December, Dassault Falcon Jet announced a $100 million expansion at its facility in Little Rock that would add 800 jobs. The company currently employs 1,400 people in Little Rock, where it provides the finishing touches on its custom business jets. The expansion is the third since 2008 at the Little Rock plant, opened in 1975.
“We had a strong finish for 2023 with that announcement,” O’Neal said. “We’ve had strong years for the past several years. We want to see a lot more of that.”
The expansion will add 4.35 acres to the 130 acres Dassault now leases at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.
“Today’s announcement cements Arkansas’ role as an aerospace powerhouse, growing our state’s largest export industry,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the December announcement of Dassault’s expansion.
Work will also begin on Exxon’s lithium extraction facility in southern Arkansas, O’Neal said.
RelateCare, an Irish health communications organization, will create 255 new jobs in Sherwood when it opens its remote clinical support services facility and telehealth and patient appointment scheduling service.
Bad Boy Mowers in Batesville also announced that it is expanding operations in Batesville, adding 300 new positions within the next four years.
“Arkansas’ workforce is great,” O’Neal said.
Development in downtown Hot Springs includes new life at the historic 16-story Medical Arts Building, left, and renovations at the Arlington Hotel. (Visit Hot Springs)
In Hot Springs, workers are wrapping up a 17-mile drilling project through Blakely Mountain to bring water to the Garland County seat. It is the longest mining operation in North American history, said Gary Troutman, president and CEO of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and Hot Springs Metro Partnership.
Water will be piped from Lake Ouachita at a rate of 23 million gallons a day and should provide Hot Springs and the area with adequate water for decades.
“It was dicey in 2012,” Troutman said, referring to a drought that hit the area that summer and nearly depleted the city’s water supply.
“We were at 90 percent capacity,” he said. “We were looking at rationing water.”
The additional water source means developers can build more housing subdivisions and attract more businesses, Troutman said.
Hot Springs also plans to continue its effort to make the area a travel destination with the openings of several chain restaurants, including Whataburger and Chipotle Mexican Grill, as well as another Chick-fil-A.
Downtown Hot Springs is experiencing its share of development. The historic Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa is undergoing renovations and the Medical Arts Building is being converted into a high-rise hotel.
“Central Avenue will have quite a beautiful appearance,” Troutman said.
He added there will be a major announcement for a manufacturer coming to Hot Springs later this spring.
“There’s a lot of excitement for 2024,” he said.
