Rogers Commercial Real Estate affected by Future Job Growth Sectors in Northwest Arkansas

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As we look at the continued development of the commercial real estate market here Rogers specifically, and  Northwest Arkansas in general, there are several sectors of job growth that are key for our area.

This post at GreaterNorthwestArkansas.com has some neat graphs and PDF’s to download.

Basically there are three key job sectors currently in Northwest Arkansas:

  • Wal-mart and Suppliers (Vendors)
  • Food Processors (Tyson and friends)
  • Transportation (JB Hunt and like minded folks)

Job Growth Sectors in Rogers commercial real estate Northwest Arkansas

As we look for diversity in our economic mix, these were identified as key areas because of the fact that: they either already exist in Northwest Arkansas, they will bring significant money to NWA and they will bring strong growth to the Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville area.

  • Professional Services and Regional Offices
  • Sustainable technologies and Business Processes
  • Arts, entertainment, and tourism
  • University let technology development
  • Health care

Future Job Growth Sectors in Rogers commercial real estate Northwest Arkansas

Be sure to read the full report on target job growth sectors at the following link: NWA Target Cluster Analysis.pdf.  Comment below on how you feel it will affect Rogers Commercial Real Estate in particular.  Here is the intro to the report:

The location and success of multiple global headquarters operations has fast-tracked
economic growth within Northwest Arkansas in recent decades. For years, growth did
not need encouragement and the region continued to prosper despite the absence of
a comprehensive regional Economic Development Plan. The last effort to help guide
regional economic development efforts was completed in 2001. But the current
economic climate has illustrated that no region is immune to national conditions,
and Northwest Arkansas’ competitors are more proactive than ever. Very simply,
Northwest Arkansas can no longer afford to be only reactive. The region has reached
a size and level of maturity that suggests a more comprehensive plan is needed to
promote quality job growth and investment in diverse business sectors through a
cohesive regional approach to community and economic development.

Other recent studies found that competition among Northwest Arkansas’ five major
communities is believed by many to hinder the region’s overall competitiveness.

More specifically, the lack of a concerted regional economic development effort to
guide community-level programs, champion major regional initiatives, and promote
a regional brand were all cited as key issues hindering Northwest Arkansas’ potential
to maintain positive economic momentum.

In light of these concerns and the continued strain of national economic recession, a
new strategic plan is needed to guide Northwest Arkansas’ economy in the coming
years. The Northwest Arkansas Council has initiated a process on behalf of the region
through which such a blueprint will be built.

Filed Under: Commercial, Northwest Arkansas Tagged With: , , , , ,

Unique this week 214 W. Elm Rogers AR 72756 Rogers City Hall -$149,000

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Rogers AR Real Estate old City Hall Here in Northwest Arkansas, there are so many interesting properties that show up for sale.  I love to look at homes, land, and other properties that are really unique.  I am going to showcase these here on our Rogers AR real estate site.  These properties will be in all price ranges, all cities, and even listed by all real estate companies.  I hope you enjoy them.

The first property to be showcased in our Unique This Week space is the old Rogers City Hall building.  When I was a teenager here in Rogers, this was the home to City Hall,  Rogers Police Department,  Rogers Fire Department, and Rogers Court.  I actually ended up visiting all of them at one time or another!  Now it is available for sale for $149,000.

Ok, a few of quick disclaimers…

  1. I am a licensed Arkansas real estate agent
  2. I am NOT a Lawyer (don’t take anything I say as legal advice)
  3. I am NOT an inspector (I really don’t know much about construction, but I do look at tons of buildings)

Now to the good stuff.  This City Hall building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The National Register of Historic Places is the country’s official list of historically significant sites worthy of preservation.  There are tax credits, grants and other funding available.  If you are a government or a nonprofit, there are many different sources or funds for these properties.

There is also a blurp about this property at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.Rogers Real Estate Old City Hall

Aside from all the historical value of the City Hall, I think it has some significant commercial value. With over 14,000 square feet of office, commercial or residential space.  It could have a variety of uses.  At the current asking price of just $149,000, that is about $10 per square foot.  Pretty good stuff.

I like the idea of getting a multi-use permit from the city and putting retail shops and a restaurant on the ground level, offices on the second level and apartments or lofts on the third floor.  Maybe a new elevator and light shaft in the center with green roofs over the garage and on the main building.

I think that it would make a great location for something like the Center for Nonprofits.  Maybe a “Arkansas Center for Sustainability” would be a way to bring some great architects, planning, or sustainability-related offices as tenants.   I would probably tear out the offices in the old firetruck bay and make some nice indoor parking or even put a grocery store or a restaurant in there.  The 130 foot high police radio tower looks like a good place to put some wind turbines for producing electricity.  Maybe one of my friends from the US Green Building Council would know how to do it.

Rogers Arkansas Real Estate City HallI walked through and around this property, and I was impressed with what good shape it was in.  The exterior brickwork is beautifully done, and there are no significant cracks or exterior damage.  The inside does not smell musty or moldy or anything.  The office layout is very labyrinth-ish, and I thing the new owner will need to tear out most of the spaces and reconfigure them.  The roof has a few leaks in a few places, but overall everything looks very good.

The bad: The bathrooms will need to be replaced.   I guess they had mostly men working at the city hall in those days, because it looks like a ton of offices and only about 3-4 bathrooms!  I am guessing that most/all of the plumbing will have to be replaced.  I assume that most/all of the electrical will have to be replaced.  I’ll bet that you need someone with a special permit to come remove hazardous-type material that may be in the ceiling. <- (this can get EXPENSIVE)

As far as parking, there are quite a few parking spaces around this lot.  The City of Rogers appears to own the parking lot just south of the Old City Hall, so there may be some opportunities to get a little cooperation from the City to use that for additional parking.

I love these old downtown buildings, and I took my sweet wife on another one of my “ooooh you have GOT to see this place excursions”.  We took some photos and videos that you can click on below to watch. This property is shown here courtesy of Lindsey and Associates -Broker reciprocity.

If you are interested in more information about this or any other “unique” property please contact me by calling 479-633-7775 or email me james@rogersmls.com

See the videos at:
Inside old Rogers City Hall Commerical Real Estate 2

Here is one of our videos:

Filed Under: Commercial, For Sale, Northwest Arkansas, Residential, Rogers Tagged With: , , , ,

Bikes Blues and BBQ gets as far north as Rogers

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This weekend is the 10th annual Bikes Blues and BBQ bike rally in Fayetteville AR.  We don’t have any official participation here in Rogers, but our Harley Davidson Dealer has a ton of bikes out ready to rent.  We have billboards offering insurance, bike polish, and other products.

It is unbelievable that 400,000 folks come here for the bike rally.  Every hotel in Rogers Arkansas is full to the gills.  There are tons of bikers on all the roads.

I love the weather these folks get every year.  They sure know how to pick a weekend.  With highs in the 70′s and lows in the 50′s, you really can’t ask for anything better!!

Come enjoy a great weekend here in Northwest Arkansas

Filed Under: National News, Northwest Arkansas, Rogers Tagged With: , ,

3 bedroom 2 bath in Quiet Rogers Neighborhood 1611 Lilac $119,500

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This is a great all-brick 3 bedroom 2 bath home in a quite Rogers AR neighborhood.  If you are looking for a quite place to live where your kids can walk to school, this is great.  This street has no through traffic, so when we went out to take pictures and video, we only saw one car drive by.

Besides being in a peaceful setting, you are still close to everything.  About 4 blocks to Grimes Elementary, 3 blocks to Elmwood Middle School, and just over one mile from Rogers High School and Heritage High School, you are close to many educational options for your children.  Even Benton County School of the Arts is just about one mile away.

Google maps says that this home is about 3 miles or 7 minutes from Pinnacle Hills Mall and  I-540.  That gives you easy access to Bentonville, Springdale, Fayetteville, and even Bella Vista.  So if you work at Wal-Mart Home office, or the University of Arkansas, you have easy access to everything.  There is a Neighborhood market about 1 mile away, and a Walmart Supercenter within a mile and a half.

Now about the home: It is in great shape with wood floors in the living room, an amazing Arkansas Natural Stone fireplace that is the focus of the living area.  The kitchen has attractive tile countertops and plenty of space with 2 eating areas, and indoor laundry area.  There is a nice 2 car garage with a storage shed out back.  There are raised beds for gardening and a permanent barbeque grill in the back yard.

The closets for the bedrooms are generously sized and one of my favorite features is the built-in vanity in the master bedroom.  That means my wife can do her makeup while I am getting ready in the bathroom or closet, and we won’t be running into each other. Men know how NOT having a vanity can be a big source of conflict!!

The owner’s have reduced the price to only $119,500.  When you take into account that this home qualifies for the Home buyer’s $8000 tax credit, you have an incredible opportunity to get a well-cared for home.  Call or text today at 633-7775 for more information.

Filed Under: Residential Tagged With: , , ,
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