The award-winning formula for Arkansas’ premier economic development project in Fort Smith, also known as Chaffee Crossing, includes solid business ingredients: 7,000 acres of former military land strategically located in the centre of the US; a professionally designed master land use plan for a mixed-use, walkable, sustainable community overseen by the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA); a healthy portfolio of federal, state, regional and local partners; and a small, nimble team of professionals who share the vision of building a community within the existing wider community.
However, the secret organic elements that really make this project unique are transportation related. All forms of transportation converge in Fort Smith: two US interstates, the Arkansas River, multiple Class I rail lines, and commercial air services.
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A new 6.5 mile section of the Interstate 49 highway (I-49) is now open through the heart of Chaffee Crossing, providing a direct route to Winnipeg, Canada. The I-49 intersects the I-40 at Fort Smith, bringing goods and people from coast to coast. Two existing ports and a proposed $25m intermodal facility on the Arkansas River are 10 minutes away. Three Class I rail lines and four short lines also serve the region. Fort Smith Regional Airport and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport provide comprehensive air services for freight and travellers. Combined with a skilled, trainable workforce, the region is prime for manufacturing, intermodal warehousing and distribution centres.
Over the past 10 years, Chaffee Crossing has been chosen as the headquarters site for 15 companies
Over the past 10 years, Chaffee Crossing has been chosen as the headquarters site for 15 companies, including Graphic Packaging International, Mars PetCare, Walther Arms, Umarex, Glatfelter, and Phoenix Metals. Industrial investments of more than $600m have helped generate over 3,500 jobs. Approximately 1,600 acres remain available for sale and development. All of this growth would not be possible without Arkansas’ federal and state legislators, city and county governments, and other agencies in the mix. State economic development incentives, political partnerships and cost sharing for streets and utilities have kept infrastructure ahead of developers. Multiple universities in the region offer bachelors and masters degrees in traditional academic subjects, as well as customised workforce training for business and industry.
Easy living
Surrounding Chaffee Crossing’s quiet and eco-friendly industrial neighbourhood is a healthy mix of traditional developments, such as a new $42m headquarters for transportation and logistics giant ArcBest, which will create 1,000 new administrative and IT jobs when it opens this autumn.
The new privately developed Arkansas Colleges of Heath Education (ACHE) will open a $32m Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine to 150 students in August on a 200-acre site donated by FCRA. ACHE has also designed a traditional neighbourhood surrounding the college campus, with restaurants, retail and commercial space, residential neighbourhoods, parks, and other amenities within walking distance of academic buildings. College administrators project the school will have a $100m annual economic impact and they plan to announce additional healthcare degrees in the near future.
People are naturally drawn to the Chaffee Crossing lifestyle of living near work and amenities in an inviting environment. The Chaffee Crossing master land use plan has integrated 24 residential neighbourhoods into the beautiful rolling landscape, with lifestyles to meet any household budget. Over 2,200 units are on offer, ranging from apartments and town homes to modest or luxury single-family homes. These neighbourhoods are skilfully blended together with a plethora of amenities. A military historic district, museums, microbreweries, restaurants, places of worship, schools and recreation attractions are minutes from front doors.
By maintaining a balanced mix of industry, commerce, lifestyle, education and recreation, Chaffee Crossing is combining all the right ingredients to create a healthy economy for western Arkansas and the entire state.