Chaffee director hints of new manufacturer

guest commentary by Ivy Owen,  executive director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority

The New Year promises more positive economic development accomplishments especially here at Chaffee Crossing.

The most recent achievements include the progress of Mars Petcare, a state-of-the-art pet food plant scheduled to open later this spring. Mars will boast the only LEEDS certified manufacturing plant in Arkansas. This means the building has been designed using the latest in environmentally sound standards.

In addition, two local companies announced expansions at Chaffee Crossing, PRADCO Outdoor Products, Umarex, USA AND Graphic Packaging. The total capital investment for the three projects exceeds $147 million with more than 400 new jobs being created. 

On the heels of these achievements is the hopeful announcement of another large new industrial complex that will employ more than 300 people. News from this project is expected within 30 days. All of this activity points to continued job growth for the area. City Administrator Dennis Kelly pointed to Chaffee Crossing as one of the things that helped draw him to Fort Smith. Having this type of open acreage available for immediate development makes Chaffee Crossing a tremendous asset to the city and the entire region. 

In order to support the new industrial jobs being created, Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) officials are working with University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Paul Beran to fund the construction of a building at Chaffee Crossing to house training programs for the new jobs created at Chaffee Crossing.

REUSE PLANNING
Having more than 4,700 acres of property available for development presents a challenge to provide a current, common sense approach to land use planning. To accomplish this, FCRA commissioned a Rogers, Ark., firm to develop a new land re-use plan for Chaffee Crossing.

The new plan will be reviewed by FCRA board members, employees and other local economic development officials. The final plan will be considered by the FCRA Board for approval at a meeting later this spring. The new plan will serve as a guide for the future development of Chaffee Crossing and will ensure the development of a first class mixed use community for the western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma region.  

MUSEUM DISTRICT
A commercial and retail district has emerged at Chaffee Crossing with a museum sector including the Chaffee Barbershop Museum, located in the building where Elvis Presley received his first Army haircut in March 1958. The barbershop section of the museum is an exact replica of the 1958 barbershop where the King of Rock-n-Roll lost his precious locks. Other museums include the Enchanted Doll Museum and the Vietnam Vets Museum. New commercial and retail development is forthcoming and will include new restaurants, retail stores and tourist attractions for the district. 
Two neighborhoods are under construction at Chaffee Crossing with a third residential development just approved. The addition of this residential growth will encourage more development in all sectors. 

ENVIRONMENTAL WORK
FCRA officials continue to encourage the “Clean and Green” theme in all Chaffee development. The Fort Smith Master Gardeners are developing the “Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing” a demonstration of local and non-local plantings as well as a series of changing educational exhibits.  The Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing will be a long-term, ecological asset for the entire region to enjoy.

The Chaffee Crossing Wetlands Mitigation Bank is nearing reality. The application is in the hands of the U.S. Corps of Engineers for its review.  The initiation of the Wetland Mitigation Bank will provide a mechanism for developers to mitigate wetlands so that local development won’t be delayed and will ensure that wetlands will be permanently preserved for recreational use. The bank will also provide needed additional capital for FCRA to continue its infrastructure construction at Chaffee Crossing as well as other needed improvements.

PORTS, PARTNERSHIPS
All regional entities are working together to establish a Regional Intermodal Authority that will oversee the research and development of a regional port for the area. We are confident that the location of this port will benefit everyone within the region.

FCRA looks forward to 2009 and all it has to offer. We look forward to working with cities of Fort Smith and Barling, Sebastian County, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and other cities within the region. Together we will be able to provide the results that we are all hoping for and expecting. 

We invite local citizens to visit Chaffee Crossing to explore all the new changes that are occurring. You will be pleasantly surprised!