Riit Northwest Arkansas Council: A Look Back ilo Majōl.
Groundwork Promo Videos – Chikin Meļeļe
For 30 years and more, the Northwest Arkansas Council has had an important role in the development of the region. The Council has helped unify the major cities and businesses in the area. Where before Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville were in competition for money, the Council supported ideas and projects that develop the city centers, grow business, and improve the quality of life for people throughout Northwest Arkansas.
Northwest Arkansas continues to grow in number of people. It is now the 100th largest metropolitan area in the nation. In 1990, Sam Walton along with Don Tyson, J.B. Hunt and others formed a non-profit organization focused on regional development. Sam Walton first proposed that the Council support the construction of a regional airport with direct flights to several destinations and highways that could handle increase traffic and trucking. Under the leadership of Alice Walton’s leadership and direction, the Council launched the effort that led to the creation of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority. The Council helped raise funds and secure the sale of over 60 parcels of land where the airport was built. The airport has since expanded, now the Northwest Arkansas National Airport, with direct flights to 18 major cities across the country.
Beaver Lake is the main source of water in Northwest Arkansas distributed throughout the region. “Two-Ton” Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority was formed in 1992. NWAC has recognized how the region relies on this water source and supported the establishment of such a public entity to oversee water distribution: “We’re growing and that’s going to mean more housing, more industry, more businesses. Having a reliable source of water is the key to all that.”
NWAC has also advocated to improve the ground transportation systems and expand the roadways. Sam Walton pushed for major north-south and east-west highways, US 412 and US 62, which connect the cities throughout the region with each other and the rest of the country. Major highways improved conditions for the many trucks that local industries use to transport food and products. Walmart, Tysons and other companies run hundreds of trucks in and out of Northwest Arkansas every week. People also need to be able to easily travel to and from the region and between cities.
Over the years, the Council has encouraged the construction and establishment of museums like Crystal Bridges and the Amazeum, places to enjoy art and music like the Walton Arts Center, TheatreSquared and Walmart AMP, and places for sports and recreation like Arvest Ballpark and the Razorback Regional Greenway. The Council also has an initiative to develop more workforce housing. Read more about Groundwork and their efforts to create better housing in the region.
