Whether or not you’re in the business of event planning, Arkansas’ big renovation projects have been almost everyone’s business over the past few years. Take a stroll through downtown Little Rock or a drive through the state’s western region and you’ll find whole cities who hardly go a day without mention of the shiny new venues and all the fun events that accompany them.
So what’s the status on all these projects? Fasten your seat belts. We’re about to take a tour around the state.
Right in the midst of its $68 million renovation, the Robinson Center is marching steadily toward its scheduled reopening date in November 2016 after closing its doors in July 2014. The project reached the halfway point in July and remains on schedule and on budget.
With more than 130,000 man-hours invested so far, extensive demolitions are now complete, wherein crews even removed the concrete floor in order to drop the stage to street level, allowing for enhanced acoustics. As a bonus, those same crews have been able to recycle approximately 10,000 tons of waste material so far.
The officially-named Robinson Center Second Act project will see the 75-year-old theater increase from 133,500 SF to 138,000 SF, upgrading everything from the performance hall and curb appeal to expanded lobbies and a new grand ballroom on the north side of the center, overlooking the Arkansas River.
The Robinson is home to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, traveling Broadway shows and many a performing arts production, and is a staple landmark for countless Arkansans, who are anxiously looking forward to the grand reopening in 2016.
Little Rock said goodbye to its Peabody Hotel and hello to a Marriott in May 2013, but it was 2014’s $16 million renovation that really turned heads. Over six months, all 418 guest rooms got a facelift, as did the hotel’s 40,000 SF of public meeting and ballroom spaces.
The Marriott retains its link to the 200,000-SF Statehouse Convention Center, and reopened officially in September 2014.
Central Arkansas event planning got a little easier with the announcement of renovation plans for the Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center just off campus from the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. The development has plans to upgrade furnishings and features throughout the property, including suites and meeting spaces, and upping the functionality of the atrium.
Meanwhile, the 138-room Holiday Inn Express just down the road also recently changed hands in a $4.2 million sale.
Moving westward, The Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge near Mena celebrated its triumphant reopening in June 2015. The three-story structure was originally built in 1898 and dubbed the “Castle in the Sky,” but after renovations began in 2012, the structure hit some major road bumps when construction delays caused by weather and contractor issues pushed back the finish date two years.
Located on Rich Mountain just off of Talimena National Scenic Byway, the lodge’s $9.6 million renovation and expansion boasts panoramic views, additional stairwells and elevators, an updated restaurant and energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting. Along with the upgrades, an extra 10,000 SF were added to the establishment, bringing the grounds in at just more than 37,000 SF.
In November 2014, the Holiday Inn in Fort Smith was rebranded into the Executive Hotel at City Center, but in late September 2015, the hotel received formal approval to use the DoubleTree brand. The hotel is set within walking distance of downtown activities, is attached to the Fort Smith Convention and Performing Arts Center and is the largest of its kind within 65 miles. The grand reopening was originally scheduled for August 2015, but while the new space is operational, the nearly $8 million remodel is still in progress.
In other DoubleTree news, the 288-room establishment in downtown Little Rock was purchased by FAC-W Markham LLC in early 2015. Not only will the hotel keep the DoubleTree name, but it will also see approximately $5 million in renovations, including updates to the lobby, restaurant and 14,000 SF of meeting space. And as if the building’s downtown location wasn’t enough of a selling point, it also connects to its anchor attraction, the Robinson Center.
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