The third floor of The Dickson will soon be home to TV news stations KNWA and KFTA
Staff photo, Fayetteville Flyer
Local TV news station KNWA will soon be moving into The Dickson, Arkansas Business reports.
The station has signed a 10-year agreement, and will occupy the entire third floor of the building at 609 W. Dickson Street. Randy Werner, leasing agent for The Dickson, said the new space is approximately 12,000 square feet.
KNWA’s main studio is currently located in the Campbell Bell building on the downtown Fayetteville square. The station also leases office space in the E.J. Ball building just off the square.
The move to the new space will take place in October. The station’s newscast will reportedly begin broadcasting in HD at that time.
Fox affiliate KFTA, KNWA’s sister station that shares their downtown studio, will make the move to The Dickson this fall as well. The vacancy of the two stations will leave about 10,000 square feet of empty space on the Fayetteville square.
Oh good. Now hopefully something interesting will occupy the square location. I’m excited to see what comes next.
Thought the third floor of the Dickson was going to be a hotel. I see they’ve moved that to the 9th floor and the planned bar on that floor is no longer planned.
I was wondering about that too, I thought the bar would have been pretty cool…but then again from a business standpoint, if someone came in and wanted to rent an entire floor, I’d probably make adjustments as well lol.
Maybe Campbell-Bell can host a new retailer. Not much left on the Square except banks anymore :(
Say what now? There are several thriving businesses, new and not that new, around the square. Have you been there recently?
By “Not much… except banks” he means the one bank and the multiple restaurants and retailers.
downgrade. i think it’s been sort of cool having the station on the Square. and i much prefer seeing the on-street spots shot in front of the Mustache & OPO than Qdoba & Stir.
I imagine the location shots looking down the hill on Dickson St will be pretty cool. But hey, I don’t use the internet to complain about things outside of my control.
It’ll be a great view of the new park!
I thought Belden announced last year that the entire 3rd floor was going to be a hotel?
http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2012/03/02/former-music-hall-owner-plans-new-bar-inside-the-dickson/
Hmmm. Here’s story about the bar that’s supposed to open up in the building. Maybe it’s taking a little more time or the plans for it have changed.
the* story
Wow that’s great news! Hopefully something really cool moves in. Now how to get rid of those law offices…
Which law offices and why do you want to get rid of them?
I think he’s just referring to prime retail spots, that need walking traffic (from Market, First Thursday, and other pedestrian friendly downtown events). There are a lot of buildings onnthe Square that have great retail fronts, but are used for more professional services. We have a list of folks waiting for spots on Block Ave waiting to open up. There’s just a lot of people who want to be down here.
yep! I think the downtown area suffers from a lack of retail, especially when some prime spots are all taken by bars or offices. Move the offices upstairs or out of downtown. Not totally against the bars, but we have a glut of them such that we don’t have a good area for more diverse retail where people can stroll around. I’d love to see something more like Mass Ave. in Lawrence, or Newbury St. in Boston, areas where someone can spend the whole day shopping, dining, relaxing, and taking in a drink.
I wonder if people from other cities ever say: “I wish we could have a great arts and nightlife district that blends neatly into funky shopping and dining district like Fayetteville. I’d pay to park for that!”
Hannah is correct. I don’t hate lawyers specifically. I think their offices on center street are a waste of space that I selfishly want to be something more fun for the community in what could be a very nice downtown walking/shopping/dining square. While I’m at it, let’s clear out some of those tall office buildings right on the square and turn them into tall department stores. Then we’ll really be cookin.
Keeping offices downtown is important. It’s true that they are not ideal street-level businesses, and retail is a better use for street-level space. But restaurants and other businesses thrive best when their are people who live and work within walking distance. Office workers help keep other businesses afloat on their lunch hour. They buy coffee before work and on their morning break. They go to happy hour when the day ends.
A healthy downtown includes offices, eateries, bars, and retail, too. We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking any one of those should supplant another. Each is complementary.
Oh goodness I made a their, there, they’re mistake. Where is the edit button?!
Good point, Matthew. I was only kidding about the department store. But I still would greatly prefer if some of the smaller offices didn’t take up street level space on the square or center street. I’m very excited to move the tv station. And maybe I’m just being optimistic, but I like to think that moving in even more restaurants and retail and the upcoming transformation to center street would really bring new life to the square. Can’t wait to see what center street ends up looking like.
FWIW, is there any chance we can consider this for center street sidewalks and future downtown sidewalks?
http://www.rainiervalleypost.com/south-mcclellan-street-to-get-new-sidewalk-sidewalk-art/
I’m hoping for at least a dark cobblestone effect, but Art would be awesome. I’m hoping the new sidewalks aren’t just bright white and bland. It’d seem out of place in the groovy old square. I hope they go darker.
I agree. I think ideally office uses would start on the second and third floors of most buildings, freeing up the street-level spaces for restaurants and shops.
And top it all off with apartments.
The Dickson is the perfect kind of downtown infill in that respect.
Not long ago, there were many more law offices on Center St. and near the square than now. There was also a practical variety of retailers. Our law office at Block and Spring serves many neighborhood residents and businesses, and is within walking distance to the Washington County, Fayetteville District and U.S. District courthouses. For the most part, the remaining law firms around the square have been here for decades providing stability for the neighborhood through thick and thin. And of course the emplyees and clients of these firms regularly patronize other downtown businesses. Don’t run us off!
if your businesses moved up a flight of stairs, opening up the ground floor to more retail/restaurant space, more places within walking distance would be open for you to enjoy. In the past, your offices may have provided stability, whatever that is supposed to imply, but your offices don’t draw tourists or encourage foot traffic.
uhhh, he just stated that his business, does in fact, encourage foot traffic. Let’s face it, there is still a ways to go before the square becomes a destination for shopping and dining, and for the last 40 years, lawyers and other professional offices have provided stability. What he/she is implying is pretty simple…that those businesses provided a solid foundation for keeping the area from going in completely the wrong direction. Now folks want to roll in on their extremely high horses and tell them to move because it doesn’t fit their vision of a downtown master plan! All of us that live downtown would love to see our own little idealistic view of the downtown area come to fruition. The idea that every spot needs to be filled by retail and restaurants is unsustainable currently, and would be akin to thinking that every American should be a homeowner…sounds good coming out of one’s mouth, but in reality it is not a good idea in the big picture of how the world works. A slow metamorphosis will continue to take over the downtown area and new businesses will move in, but to think that every spot should be filled by retail/restaurants and all else should GTFO or die is pretty lame.
Mr. McLemore’s offices are located in a single story stand-alone building where they have been for years. I imagine that the “implied stability” refers to the fact that Mr. McLemore with his partners and staff practice law year round, and use local good and services throughout the entire calendar year– not just during tourist season.
Fingers crossed for a good restaurant.
Can’t wait to see how much fun they have getting their people and gear in and out for bikerama.
Has anyone ever been to the “Signature Lounge” at the top of the Hancock building in Chicago? If you have, you know what the call this place. Imagine if we can get a bar/restaurant on top of The Dickson.. and what we can call it… symbolic, yes.
I enjoy all the comments about what businesses people want to see in certain locations. I’m not sure that business owners make their investment decisions based on those comments, but it sure is fun to express our fantasies when we don’t have to actually make the investment and take the financial risks.
which is why your username is keen. Its no so much about business owners, although they are a factor, as it is about having a quality master plan that encourages an experience beyond just a nightlife.