Walton Arts Center Council to hire architect to study parking deck locations
David Jurgens speaks at a public input session held in the Walton Arts Center parking lot in April. The WAC Lot is one of two locations being considered for a planned downtown parking deck.
Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Now that city officials have narrowed their preferred locations for a planned downtown parking deck, it’s time for Walton Arts Center officials to weigh in.
The Walton Arts Center Council voted on Tuesday to begin a process that will help them make a decision between the WAC Lot and the Theater Lot.
Board members approved a $50,000 budget to hire an architect to create a broad sketch of the deck at each proposed location.
Council members expressed worries about both locations, but were hopeful that engaging an architect who could utilize recently released research from theatre consulting firm Schuler Shook might make the choice more clear.
The primary concern with building on the WAC Lot is that it could severely inconvenience patrons during construction.
“While you’re building that deck, you give up the parking, but you also give up that parking revenue,” said Chamber of Commerce President Steve Clark, who also serves on the arts center’s board. “Also, the people that you would most inconvenience would be the patrons of the Walton Arts Center.”
Building on the Theater Lot raised even more concerns. The potential for blocking access to the theater’s loading dock, displacement of the center’s administrative offices, and the potential loss of about $70,000 in rent revenue the center receives from Grub’s Bar & Grille were all voiced by board members as potential problems. Board members also expressed concerns that building on the Theater Lot could prevent possible future expansion of the performing arts center on Dickson Street.
Board president Jeff Schomburger said those are precisely the types of problems an architect might be able to solve.
“One thing we want the (architect) to consider is the possibility that we could build the full monty on the Theater Lot. The parking, the offices, the reconfigured loading dock,” said Schomburger, “It might come back no, but at least we’ll have that data.”
Parking deck project manager David Jurgens said Wednesday that many of the issues discussed by the WAC board have been on his radar as a project manager all along. He also said he was was thrilled that the board chose to pursue a next-level-type analysis.
“I’m really looking forward to working with them on this,” he said. “I want to make sure their consultants are coming at it from a ‘we’ approach. If their interests are our interests, and I think they are, we should be able to come up with a consensus that works for all parties.”
Jurgens said he hopes to have a full report to the City Council on all aspects of the parking deck matter in 75-90 days.
“My goal,” he said, “is to provide as much data as we can to the council so they can make a fully informed, well-thought-out decision.”
I’m beginning to think the WAC is an inconvenience for Dickson Street patrons. Not the other way around. I hope progress is made in 90 days, but next decade sounds about right. Oh and the AMP is now a joke.
I thought the line-up at the amp was pretty good this year, at least better than in previous years. The local news reported they are having their best year yet as far as ticket sales go.
Who cares what the WAC has to say, it’s not there land and they are moving!!!!!!!!
That WAC location is NOT moving. No it is not their land, but with all the folks griping about the city not getting adequate input (even though the city held any number of public input sessions), it’s probably pretty smart to get the opinion of the folks who would be generating a good deal of the parking usage.
That Underwood (the Dickson?) building looks huge and way out of place with it’s surroundings in that picture.
We’re at the point where WAC unabashedly directs the complexion and direction of Dickson.
Here’s a major public undertaking with long-term cost consequences affecting a large number of businesses and patrons.
Naturally, it gets an expensive vetting by an unelected institution that will have significantly less relevance after it abandons its premier programming to facilities outside of town.
The WAC is opening a bigger and better WAC in Bentonville. If you think that our WAC is going to get the good shows and the numbers won’t drop, I can’t help you.
The public meetings were for , where do you want to put this parking structure we are going to build because we want to please the WAC. This started when the WAC was going to expand. But the Waltons didn’t want any part of Fayetteville and now we are going to build a parking deck come hell or high water. So a no show by the people speaks volumes. Have public input on paid parking watch the turnout.
There were at least 16 public meetings to discuss paid parking. Get over it.
I hope it isn’t the same architect that designed the WAC.
Parking decks suck. When everyone’s trying to get out at once, like when a show is over, it can take 3x’s as long.
Is it just me or does Steve Clark seem like a tool who has his nose buried up the WAC’s posterior? I get tired of the damn WAC seemingly being a 400lb rich gorilla that so many of these Steve Clarks grovel to. Yes, god forbid the WAC be inconvenienced or lose any revenue. Pity no one cared when Dickson St businesses said they would lose money with the parking meters.
Steve Clark is on the WAC board.
I know. Yet he is also the President of the Chamber of Commerce and so should be concerned about all businesses, not just the big bully on the block.
And those businesses don’t want additional parking? As to the laments regarding the paid parking, it sure does not seem to have hurt Dickson Street. There are several new businesses that have opened up since paid parking was instituted, and HMR revenues are up too. No way to make everyone happy when trying to solve a broad-based problem.
Here’s where he’ll be remembered : Not as the Mayor who lost the Walton Arts Center, but the Mayor who ‘ tried to KILL Dickson ST. Faydem, get real Steve Clark stole from every Arkansan. He doesn’t deserve AT ALL to be head of our great cities chamber, and jordan has shown the same of being an elected official. 2 days before thanksgiving in a city of 73,000 people less than 9,000 people showed up to vote…and this is what we get. .. I will hold ground as a Dickson by blood that none of this happens at all for any reason. For the Walton Arts Center to get 250,000 dollars of parking fees and fines is absolutely ridiculous. Any business owner will tell you down there it has taken a HUGE hit by all this inconvenience laid by uninformed decision makers for greedy buisness opportunities. MAY 31ST AT THE FAYETYEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 5:30 BE THERE OR BE SQUARE. The real decision makers of Fayetteville are coming together to discuss this, not our interm elected officials that have dropped the ball. No reelection for jordan will occur and if he sells bonds on this issue before its resolved… Huntsville will be the only place he can retire..just like Faubus..
I can’t believe people are hanging on to the idea that paid parking hurts businesses overall on Dickson. That dog died long ago. A bunch of business owners predicted the worst, but it didn’t come to pass. No shame in being wrong, but people should learn to recognize when the fight is over. So many businesses down there are renovating and expanding. Joe didn’t buy back Joses for sh!ts and giggles, you know. Certain business owners are perpetual malcontents, nothing will change that. Those are likely the businesses who make no improve themselves. When taking a poll of business owners about the huge “hit” they have taken, be sure to talk to BHK, Kingfish, joses, Cary arsaga, legacy blues, etc…
Ps I’m no fan of paid parking and skeptical about where all that revenue is going, but that’s not what my previous comment was about. I’d prefer to see that revenue go to sidewalks and trails.
Well, I have spoken to a number of the business owners and operators on Dickson and environs, and they tell ME something different than they are apparently telling you. Although I have spoken to at least one of those you mentioned. I regularly frequent several restaurants, bars and businesses on Dickson and thereabouts — often enough to know their staff and management — and unless they’re just flat-out lying to me, they all are concerned about the goings-on that will determine their ultimate success.
I am on Dickson every day of the week, as it’s in my neighborhood, and I see what it’s like when it’s hopping, when it’s dead, and in between, at all hours of the day and night. I’m very fortunate that if I choose, which I most often do, I can access Dickson on foot and so the parking situation doesn’t affect me too much.
The parking situation is a joke. It’s simply a way to raise money. Additional parking isn’t needed. So the idea of a deck is bogus. Why is there so much apparent impetus to build one?
Because it’s ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY. The city… not me!… tried a $289,000 per year bribe to the WAC. How are they going to pay for that? Nickel-and-dime parking? No. They’ve got to get the $5 and $10 parking that you could charge with a big deck. This will further put pressure on Dickson businesses, not to mention, it’s going to be a giant frickin eyesore. Like you, van, I think that money raised from government taxes in the form of parking fees should be used to support CITY infrastructure such as streets, parks, and city services such as law enforcement, firefighters, schools… Instead, it’s being gifted to private businesses such as the WAC.
And you all are just letting it happen with hardly a squawk.
You people need to wake up. This may sound tinfoil-hat to some of you, but there are forces just behind the curtains trying pull strings and make things happen. If little businesses get squeezed out, the deep-pockets set will swoop in like vultures to get their hands on that prime real estate. Long-standing institutions will go. If you’re ready to see Dickson become more commodified, whitewashed and “anything but funky” then keep your head in the sand.
Great assessment of the situation! I think this viewpoint has been expressed many times, but you laid it out well. The issue isn’t just about paying for parking, it is much more about where the money is going and justification for the “need” for paid parking and a parking deck.
Thank you Observer! Poignantly placed! !!!