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Conway Chamber Anniversary Sparks Beautification and Development

4 min read

In honor of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce turning 125 in 2016, the chamber announced the Conway 125 capital campaign aimed at improving the quality of life in the city. With seven city projects ranging from a downtown performing arts center to an innovation space for startup businesses, Conway is looking toward the future and planning accordingly.

The projects were identified in the Conway2025 plan, created in 2010. The plan outlines 132 goals in seven categories. Focus areas include investment in infrastructure, public transportation, job creation, crime prevention, the arts, education and the promotion of an active lifestyle. The Chamber hopes to complete Conway 125 projects over the course of the next five years.

Roundabout Art
Conway 125 is capitalizing on Conway’s roundabouts as a unique opportunity to make public art a daily part of residents’ lives. Private funds and a partnership with the city of Conway on long-term maintenance will provide the large-scale public art for the roundabouts. Arts organizations, museums, artists and donors can team up to give Conway’s roundabouts an artistic facelift.

Trails Everywhere
In an effort to keep Conway active, pedestrian overpasses will open up the entire city to runners, walkers and cyclists. The new overpass at Central Landing is the first interstate overpass in Conway designed to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposed trails include a dedicated greenway through Central Landing connecting to trails east of Conway Commons. In addition, pedestrian overpasses at Oak Street and Harkrider will safely connect trail users to new sections of trails extending north and east to Lower Ridge Road.

Interstate Beautification
For many people, their first glimpse of Conway is from the vantage point of their car as they cruise on I-40. A well-designed, properly maintained landscaping plan along Conway’s section of the interstate and exits along with new, decorative bridges, will help Conway stand out.

The Conway chamber will raise private funds to implement landscaping for Exits 127 and 129. Designed by Crafton Tull, the Exit 129 master plan preserves the heavily wooded interchange while eliminating invasive vines and brush to open the areas for additional ornamental trees. The Exit 127 master plan takes the largely barren interchange and adds 125 trees and 1,500 shrubs to develop a distinctive entrance into the city’s Oak Street corridor. The chamber will develop a plan for Exit 125 after interchange improvements are completed in 2019.

Grand Theatre
To provide an adequate performance hall for the city’s various organizations, Conway 125 will revitalize the historic Grand Theatre located on the southwest corner of Oak and Chestnut Streets. The space will prove invaluable for local groups such as Arkansas Education Television Network, the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and other arts-related nonprofits.

The Conway Area Chamber currently has the Grand Theatre building under contract. Upon completing a feasibility study by Westlake, Reed & Leskosky, (a Cleveland-based architecture firm specializing in theatre restoration), the chamber will enter a private fundraising period to build out a state-of-the-art, 300-plus seat performing arts venue in Conway’s original theatre.

Splash Pads
Joining the likes of Little Rock and Benton, Conway will introduce interactive splash pads as a cost-effective way to provide spring and summer fun. The chamber plans on establishing the splash pads in existing city parks, ensuring residents in every part of Conway have a family-friendly water activity nearby.

The existing parks budget is adequate to install splash pads over time at parks throughout Conway. Installation, maintenance and personnel costs associated with splash pads are significantly lower than with many other recreational amenities.

Startup Space
The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation, in partnership with Conway Corporation, will develop the Arnold Innovation Center. Named after retiring Conway Corporation CEO Richie Arnold, this downtown facility will become the hub for Conway’s startup community.

With plans for co-working space, leasable office suites and seminar facilities, the Arnold Innovation Center will provide a continuum of space for Conway startups as they grow.

Wayfinding Signage
Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Conway for tournaments, cultural events, conferences and more. A consistent and attractive system of “wayfinding” signs will not only help visitors find their planned destination, it will also help them discover new things along the way.

The Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau partnered with Merje Design, the firm hired for a similar, northwest Arkansas project, to prepare a “Wayfinding Signage” plan that identifies key locations and useful content to help visitors navigate and learn about Conway. The result is a 182-sign system including signs built for motorists and pedestrians alike.


See more about Conway’s economic growth at Outlook Conway.

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