BELLA VISTA, Ark. — Real estate developer Blue Crane has acquired the land and building rights to around 2,700 acres around Bella Vista, and they're setting their sights on outdoor recreation.
"I think the investments here will, of course, continue to attract people to this area. That's already happening. But we hope this will help create the best version of Northwest Arkansas," said Blue Crane Vice President Farris DeBoard. "We have been pretty overwhelmed by the positive reaction we've received. That's very exciting."
They announced the land purchase last week. Tom Walton, co-founder of Blue Crane and CEO of parent company Runway Group, called the purchase a big announcement, with plans to "bring in the community."
"We understand that this is a big announcement for many people. It is for us, too," Walton said. "As we consider our developments, we plan to bring in the community as part of that process. We believe deeply in Bella Vista's tradition of connecting people to nature through cycling, golf, and outdoor recreation, and we are confident our investments will reflect that."
Blue Crane announced the purchase in May about a month after it closed a land deal for over 50 acres near Mercy Way, covering the Sugar Creek Shopping Center.
Bella Vista in Spanish means "beautiful view." DeBoard said the current topography is something that drew them into the area.
"This area has a ton of outdoor recreation already with golf and fishing and cycling. And that's a core part of what we do," DeBoard said. "I'm certain that whatever, whatever we do, whatever investments we make, will certainly be focused on outdoor recreation and enhancing the ability to start businesses in this town."
Blue Crane hosted a meet-and-greet event at the Bella Vista Country Club for residents to "swing by and grab a cup of coffee and say hello" at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 10. So many residents showed up that some couldn't attend the standing-room-only meeting.
"I think we had about 500 people show up, to give us feedback to share in this awesome announcement and to contribute to the future of this great community," DeBoard said.
"I can't wait. There's so much I think they are able to do," said Joey Schmelzer, a Bella Vista resident who came to Friday's meeting.
"Would love to see the town center developed. That is probably one of the biggest eyesores here is when you drive down 71. It just, it needs attention. It needs development in that area," resident Peggy Lucas said. "We're open for anything, restaurants hotels in that area, as long as we keep commercial in commercial."
DeBoard said their next steps are staring an infrastructure assessment to see exactly what would fit well on the land. They'll bring those results back to the community.
If you want to know more about Blue Crane and their developments, check out their website.
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