Ideas taken for science center site
Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2008
Proposals for a 130, 000-square-foot science center due Friday included locations across Northwest Arkansas, including Bentonville, Springdale, Johnson and Fayetteville.
The science center is being planned by the Northwest Arkansas Museum Foundation, a group commissioned by the late Fayetteville banker John Lewis, who envisioned the project.
The location for the museum will be selected by board members, and it should be determined by the end of the summer, said Brent Robinson, the foundation’s executive director.
Robinson did not return messages left after 5 p.m. Friday seeking the number of pro- posals. Earlier in the day, he said he expected between 16 and 24.
Of the handful that had been turned in by midafternoon, two each had been submitted for Bentonville and Springdale.
According to the foundation’s request for proposals, board members will evaluate each site using criteria that include: Parking for 310 vehicles and 10 buses.
Close proximity to walking trails, highways, bus routes and potential rail lines for light rail or similar transit. Room for growth.
Proximity to other cultural and entertainment amenities.
Current plans call for a glass atrium, five museum galleries, an IMAX movie theater, a community auditorium and a center for traveling exhibits.
“It’s a neat project and it needs to go somewhere in Northwest Arkansas,” said Ed Clifford, president of the Bentonville / Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber submitted a proposal for a location near walking trails and wetlands, Clifford said.
Clifford wouldn’t be more specific about the potential site, but he said it wouldn’t be within walking distance of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, being built near Northeast J Street and Central Avenue in Bentonville.
However, the science museum, expected to draw 147, 000 visitors a year, would add to traffic congestion the city is expecting when Crystal Bridges opens sometime in 2010. Clifford said the museum will increase hotel stays, restaurant visits and shopping in the area.
“That’s why it’s such a big deal for the region,” he said.
Two sites were proposed for Springdale, including a bid by city real estate agent Philip Taldo. Taldo wouldn’t say where he suggested the building go, but said the land he owns west of Arvest Ballpark wouldn’t be considered. Officials want the building to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification and be designed “in the spirit of” noted Fayetteville architect Fay Jones, according to the foundation’s proposal.
To contact this reporter: aotoole@arkansasonline. com
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