BENTONVILLE -- A new downtown parking garage proposal passed through the city planning process Tuesday.

The Planning Commission voted 7-0 for the structure that is planned to be located across East Central Avenue from the Benton County Administration Building. The large-scale development plan was part of old business before the commission.

The area at 300 E. Central Ave. is now a paved lot that county employees and others use for parking. It contains 96 spots, said Bryan Beeson, Benton County facilities administrator.

The development from Off Street Parking Development District No. 3 shows a 46-foot-tall, mixed-use parking garage. The development will include 1,585 square feet of retail space and a 167,806-square-foot parking garage with 456 parking spaces, according to planning documents.

A construction timeline hasn't yet been established. Entry will be off East Central Avenue and Southeast B Street.

The development plan delineates between the first and second floors through articulation and shows glass storefront on the bottom level at the corner of East Central Avenue and Southeast B Street as required within the downtown core district. The development will include brick masonry, several architectural metal panels of varying colors, architectural concrete and brick veneer as exterior materials, according to planning documents.

The parking garage also will be used by a new downtown hotel that will be built to the west through an agreement with the Off-Street Parking Development District. The municipal improvement district isn't governed by the city or county.

The independent hotel will be a 116,000-square-foot project that will include an event space, restaurant, bar, cafe, two retail spaces and 142 rooms, according to a news release issued by 4media group in May when hotel plans were announced.

The hotel will be at the intersection of Southeast A Street and East Central Avenue, south of the historic Benton County Courthouse. The hotel is tentatively scheduled to open in summer 2024.

A conditional-use permit for temporary parking at 207, 209 and 215 N.E. Second St. in connection with the parking garage was approved as part of the commission's new business.

Applicant Bentonville Revitalization Inc. states the temporary parking will benefit county staff and citizens who visit various facilities adjacent to the parking lot. The gravel lot will not have restricted access and also will be open to the public, according to planning documents.

The area is north of the Benton County Administration Building. The conditional use is good for two years.

The county does not own the property, County Judge Barry Moehring said. The goal is to get 54 parking spaces on site, he said. The county will build and maintain the lot, Beeson said.

A future land use map amendment and rezoning at Southeast Eighth and Southeast H streets were approved 7-0 for Lightbox @ Market LLC. The future land use map request was from medium-density residential to high-density residential. The rezoning was from medium-high-density multifamily residential to downtown high-density residential, according to planning documents.

In other new business, a conditional-use permit was approved 7-0 for night work on the 14th Street pedestrian tunnel. The tunnel will relink the Razorback Greenway through the future Walmart campus, according to planning documents.

The property is between Southeast 14th Street and Southeast O Street.

Applicant Bentonville P & R Fund LLC states construction will need to take place at night in two stages on the north and south sections to mitigate traffic impacts per requirements by Arkansas Department of Transportation and the city. Lanes closures will start at 9 p.m. Fridays and reopen at 5 a.m. Mondays, according to planning documents. The permit is good for 18 months.

The applicant's narrative states homes along Southeast O Street are within 300 feet of construction and there are several commercial business buildings, wood privacy fences and landscape features that should help buffer noise, according to planning documents.

Also approved was a conditional-use permit for NE Core LLC on Northeast Third Street.

The plan is a space for community, experience and collaboration. The multifunctional space will operate as a retail hub, educational and resource center and community gathering place. It is located just off the Razorback Greenway, according to the applicant's narrative. Four containers and a food truck location are part of the plan.

The Bentonville Planning Commission approved Glide Xpress Carwash at 801 S.E. Walton Blvd. Also, Ethos Pro Shop at 502 and 504 S.E. B St. was approved for an amended conditional-use permit. The plan is to use a 40-foot shipping container for storage.

Print Headline: Planners OK downtown Bentonville parking garage proposal

This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.

Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2022, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. All rights reserved.