Kick off CNU week with a walking tour of downtown Fayetteville Arkansas along with IncDev faculty members and likeminded locals! This .4 mile walk (one-way) includes stairs and slopes and ends with an opportunity to grab a drink at a rooftop bar & restaurant.
Stroll Fayetteville’s charming Block Avenue and the downtown square, meeting small business owners along the way. Hear firsthand about the joys and challenges of small business ownership in Fayetteville’s walkable market district. Discover how historic preservation and adaptive reuse, evolving public infrastructure and policy, and non-profit programs can support a thriving corridor for business and community. There’s so much to explore in this neighborhood, but here are a few of the headlines:
New Life in an Old Garage - The 1923 Ellis Motor Company building is now home to fine dining with global influence - Atlas the Restaurant
Small Scale, Big Impact - The small office building at 123 Block Avenue shows that a light touch can make a big difference for a small business and the neighborhood. Alli Thurmond Quinlan will talk about this simple and sweet incremental development project.
Treasures Underground - Small and unusual locations shine on Block Avenue. Fayetteville’s favorite hamburger - Hugo’s - and more than half a dozen other small establishments thrive below street grade, including a pinball bar, a speakeasy, a stationer, and an art gallery.
Live/Work Balance- Meet the owner of World Treasures, who is shaping the evolution of his live/work building which has balanced business and family needs over four generations. World Treasures shares one of Fayetteville’s most magical patios with Little Bread Company.
Stripping Back the Layers - A Northwest Arkansas brand - Onyx Coffee - was named the Best Coffeeshop in the world. We’ll learn about the process of removing 1960’s slip-covering from this 19th century building.
Fayetteville Square Gardens - The lush gardens of the Fayetteville Square - a city park - anchor Arkansas’s longest-running Farmers Market and public celebrations including the Strawberry Festival. Kelly Rich, director of Downtown Fayetteville Coalition will discuss small but impactful infrastructure improvements that are moving the space from good to great.
Town & Gown Downtown - University of Arkansas owns two large buildings on the downtown square, East Square Plaza and Global Campus. How do large institutional players relate to mom and pop businesses and neighborhood coalitions?
Bookstore Boom - Pearl’s is one of three bookshops to open recently in Fayetteville. We’ll chat with the owner about the community partnerships that have helped the shop to thrive.
Parking Reform Triumph - Our tour ends with panoramic views of the Boston Mountain Range of the Ozarks from the rooftop of Feed & Folly, a downtown pub. Restrictive parking requirements kept this building vacant for decades - let’s toast to policy reform that helps make neighborhoods whole!
