In part 1 of this post, I discussed the parks, trails, golf courses, shooting ranges, and other outdoor recreational areas under development. If you haven’t seen it yet make sure to check it out. Now, let’s continue discussing some of the big things being developed, built, and expanded in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Some big projects starting in Bentonville, Arkansas, include the expansion of Crystal Bridges, the renovation of the Walmart Museum, and a redesigning of Onyx. In addition, Hilton and Blue Crane are building two new hotels, and Downtown Bentonville is being revitalized.
I’m excited to share many large developments in Bentonville with you. Keep reading to learn more about these big projects that are soon starting and are currently underway in Bentonville.
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Hilton Hotel
As Bentonville grows, we need more places to stay downtown, whether it’s Airbnb locations, rentals, or hotels. Hilton recognized this need and decided to build a Motto hotel next to Ledger, the world’s first bikable building, in downtown Bentonville. If you live in the area, you may have seen the large structure already under construction.
The Motto is a new upscale hotel by Hilton, and the Bentonville location will be the sixth in operation in the US. This is bound to be a really cool addition to the area because anything that comes into Downtown Bentonville must have a Bentonville spin. So, I’m curious and excited to see what a Bentonville-centric Motto hotel will look like. It’s set to open on April 16, 2024.
Crystal Bridges Expansion
If you don’t live in the area or aren’t already familiar with Crystal Bridges, it’s a massive art museum located in Downtown Bentonville. And the 200,000-square-foot space is being expanded by an extra 100,000 square feet!
Crystal Bridges truly is a fantastic place. It’s a free museum thanks to Alice Walton, who gifted it to the town. Yet, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s not good. In 2022, for instance, Crystal Bridges was in possession of one of the only seven copies of the Constitution, as well as the actual Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and other original copies of very important American documents.
The museum also has incredible artwork put on display year-round. In fact, I was visiting not too long ago and spoke with someone who told me they were flying across America to check out some of the nation’s best museums. They said Crystal Bridges always makes the list, and they always stop here. So, if you’re taking a trip to check out the area, this museum is definitely worth a visit.
New Downtown Bentonville
Though it’s amazing the way it is now, Downtown Bentonville will soon be revitalized. There are big plans to leverage the area for people doing events. They want to brick the entire area and not have nearly as much actual parking, with retail spaces, restaurants, community centers, parks–the whole thing.
Downtown will eventually become a central hub for all things Bentonville and the Bentonville community. And if you’ve been around Bentonville long enough, you know that all the biggest events, like Christmas celebrations, First Fridays, the Farmer’s Market, and more, happen downtown.
This project isn’t in development as of posting this article because they need to finish up some parks first, as I spoke about in part 1. Plus, they’ll likely be coordinated with the Walmart headquarters and its projects. But we should see this start to take place in 2024 or maybe 2025. So, if you’re moving to Bentonville in the next couple of years, know that this will also be part of the whole package.
Walmart Museum
Speaking of Walmart, the Walmart Museum in downtown Bentonville is also being revitalized. The building was built a long time ago and hasn’t been modernized since, so the plan is to update the old building to make it more accessible and inclusive. They’ll be adding elements like rooftop patios, more food choices, and more experiences related to the history of Walmart.
The museum is temporarily relocated down the road at the Ledger while redoing the old building. They should be close to starting the finalization of everything by 2024.
New Hotel by Blue Crane
Kitty-corner to downtown, you can start seeing the development of a brand new upper luxury hotel. The area will include retail spaces, restaurants, and public hangout spots. Plus, every single place in the actual hotel will be geared towards biking or some other amenity specific to Bentonville.
Blue Crane, the prominent developer around the NWA area, is behind the new hotel. The group partnered with Rope Swing, another well-known company around the area that’s developed a lot of restaurants. They have yet to release a name or a design, but whenever these two do something, they do it really big, especially around Bentonville. So, I’m super excited to see what they have in store for us.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Onyx Redesign
Another change I’m really excited about is that Onyx Coffee has recently announced redesigning their space in the Momentary. For those unfamiliar with Onyx Coffee, it’s a very popular brand in Northwest Arkansas. But Onyx is known worldwide for its top-tier design and amazing marketing, specifically what the brand is doing in Northwest Arkansas.
What’s so interesting about the Momentary when it came to Onyx is that the art museum is so out of the brand idea. Onyx’s new look is pink with delicate patterns, and the shop will even have a conveyor belt that the coffee comes down –so fun! It’s very interesting but vastly different from the skulls, snakes, wood, and dark colors typically presented by the brand. I’m curious to see how this redesign turns out, so I’ll definitely keep you updated.
Overall, the future is bright for Bentonville, and all the progress is getting featured in reputable publications. For instance, did you check out the Wall Street Journal did a feature on Bentonville? If not, what are you waiting for?
All these big projects are just several more reasons to come to Northwest Arkansas. It truly is a wonderful place where you can live, work, and play. To learn more about all the exciting things Bentonville has to offer, take my Official TOUR of Bentonville, Arkansas.