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Ready to understand how a fast-growing city plans to add homes, boost infrastructure, and protect the character that makes people stay? We sit down with Fayetteville’s newly elected mayor, Molly Rawn, for a direct look at what’s changing, what’s working, and where the next wave of smart investment will land. From streamlining permitting to locking in water and sewer capacity through a 2026 bond, the roadmap is designed to reduce friction for builders while keeping neighborhoods livable and co...
Ready to understand how a fast-growing city plans to add homes, boost infrastructure, and protect the character that makes people stay? We sit down with Fayetteville’s newly elected mayor, Molly Rawn, for a direct look at what’s changing, what’s working, and where the next wave of smart investment will land. From streamlining permitting to locking in water and sewer capacity through a 2026 bond, the roadmap is designed to reduce friction for builders while keeping neighborhoods livable and connected.
We unpack why housing is the first level; attainable options at multiple price points, and how supply growth can lower pressure across the market. Mayor Rawn shares specific steps to improve timelines, push pre-application collaboration, and clarify expectations so developers can plan with confidence. We also dig into the city’s upcoming comprehensive land use plan and unified development code to simplify a crowded menu of zoning districts. The goal: fewer surprises, stronger predictability, and a clear picture of where density belongs.
Place still matters. We explore a refreshed downtown master plan to connect the Square and Dickson Street, new walkable nodes across neighborhoods, and the mixed-use formats that make daily life work without a car. Expect more missing-middle housing and context-sensitive height in the right locations, plus a renewed focus on transit dignity, with covered bus stops, because details shape experience. We highlight target sectors like tech and small manufacturing, the University of Arkansas talent pipeline, and why corridors like College Avenue are primed for reinvention.
If you care about real estate in Northwest Arkansas, developer, investor, or curious resident, this is a playbook for building well in a city that values both momentum and character.
Follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a review to help more builders and neighbors find conversations that move projects forward.
Northwest Arkansas's go-to show for real estate agents, brokers, and investors looking to zoom in on the local market. Join us as we sit down with the leading voices in the area to hear how they're investing in NWA.
Hosted by (in order from left to right) Brian Wagers, Zach Stanley, and Brandon Still.
SPEAKER_05: Welcome to Northwest
Arkansas Investing Podcast, your
go-to source for real estate
investing in Northwest Arkansas.
SPEAKER_04: Whether you're a
seasoned investor just starting
out, we bring you expert
insights, market trends, and
practical strategies to help you
build wealth through real
estate.
SPEAKER_03: From buying and
selling to property management
and long-term investment
planning, we cover it all so you
can make smart, informed
decision in this fast growing
market.
Let's dive in.
SPEAKER_04: Welcome back to the
NWA Investing Podcast.
Today on the NWA Investing
Podcast, we're diving into the
heart of Fayeville, the
cultural, economic, and creative
engine of Northwest Arkansas.
It's home to the University of
Arkansas Razorbacks, one of the
fastest growing universities in
the country.
Some would say Whoopig.
Whoops.
As well as the headquarters of
Slims Chickens and Seven Brew
Coffee.
Many other companies, just
talking about a$20 million
packaging facility, born here
and have expanded nationwide.
It's a great incubator for
growth.
And leading this dynamic city is
our guest today, Mayor Molly
Ron.
Fayeville's newly elected mayor
secured her position in a
hard-fought runoff and is now
shaping the city's vision for
housing, infrastructure, and
sustainable growth.
Today I'm excited to join my
co-hosts, Zach Stanley, Brandon
Still, to break down
development, permitting
Fayetteville's future, maybe
mayor's uh favorite restaurant
spot and what investors need to
know uh to line with cities
goals.
So uh welcome to the podcast,
Mayor Ron, and thanks for being
here.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much
for having me.
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
First off, before we get rolling
into this, how's how's your
transition into being the mayor
for Avell Ben?
How's it?
SPEAKER_00: You know what?
It's as I reflect on, you know,
just this past week um was the
one year anniversary of the of
the of the runoff election.
And it's been an incredible
year.
It's gone by fast, um, but I'm
incredibly proud of it.
I'm incredibly proud of my team.
Um it's been challenging.
It's been a lot of fun.
Um, yeah, and I absolutely love
it.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
Do you feel like your first year
there was like a learning curve
of like, okay, here's how,
here's systems and processes,
here's how we're we do operate
about things.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, of course of
course.
And of course, of course, coming
into any new job, there's gonna
be a learning curve.
I think there was also um uh
just a reset of expectations for
um we're gonna do things in a
different way.
SPEAKER_01: That's a good point.
SPEAKER_00: And it it doesn't
even mean that it's not a um uh
a commentary on the way things
were done before.
It's not saying that they were,
you know, good or bad.
SPEAKER_01: Right.
SPEAKER_00: It's that moving
forward, this is how we are
gonna work with our uh, you
know, to the listeners of your
podcast, this is how we're gonna
engage with our business
community.
Right.
This is what my expectations
are, this is what our goals are.
And so I think it was a learning
curve for everyone.
Um, but it was a big change.
SPEAKER_05: Mayor Lionel was
since 2009, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00: Um uh Mayor Jordan
was elected in 2008.
SPEAKER_05: 2008 uh for the
first time, yeah.
Okay, wow.
SPEAKER_00: So a long, long
began survey, took office in
2000.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
So we're gonna cover a bunch of
stuff in here.
Anything from your favorite,
favorite restaurant to uh
building in Fayetteville on red
tape, and we're just gonna we're
gonna cover an assortment of
things.
Let it um we're just gonna kind
of back, forth, back, forth.
If you something comes up, guys,
let us know.
Um, but we're gonna start off
with what are some of your top
priorities?
I know this is probably a broad
question, but top priorities is
Mayor Fayetteville uh into the
future.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is a broad
question, but it's a good
question, and it's an important
question.
Um I wanna I wanna give two
different answers.
The first is I'm always, always,
always going to talk about
housing.
And I know we're gonna dive into
that a little bit later in the
podcast into more specifics, but
I I feel like I need to explain
a little bit more about what I
mean when I say that.
Um and it it sounds simple, but
I think it bears repeating that
one of our biggest problems with
housing is that we don't have
enough of it.
And we have had tremendous
success over the past year.
I'm really, really proud of the
um the new neighborhoods that
we're bringing online, the new
permits that we're issuing, the
new rooftops that we're adding.
And I think sometimes people get
bogged down in thinking about
homelessness, which is which is
a problem.
It is a problem in Fateville, it
is a nationwide problem.
It is something that it is we
are going to continue to do work
to try to mitigate and work
towards a solution.
But that is not the only aspect
of housing.
So when I say housing is a
priority, to me, I think the
biggest lever that we have at
the city is being able to build
more of it.
And hope that that is what helps
that pipeline.
But one thing I do want to say
that was a priority for me that
I'm so proud of and is still a
priority bus stops.
So, so simple, so easy, yet for
whatever reason, and uh the
decades that Ozark Regional
Transit and Razorbike Transit
have been operating, we still
have so many bus stops in
Fayetteville where there's no
bench and there's no shelter.
And so people are like sitting
on the ground in the rain to
wait for the bus.
And I do not think we should
tolerate that.
I don't think it's it's
acceptable.
So that's a challenge I put out
to our team early on, and we are
um making headway already.
And so we'll have every bus stop
covered by the end of my first
term.
SPEAKER_05: Let's go.
Congratulations.
That's amazing.
Uh I have so many piggybacks
that I want to go off of that.
SPEAKER_00: But I know it's I
can talk about this for two
hours today.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: We should have a
part two.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
The homeless, uh, Seven Hills is
a great organization.
We actually just gave a chair uh
check to them.
So I think they're they're doing
great things.
I think there's a lot of like
what NWA and Favel is good about
is being very like a front of
issues.
Like people are aware of
affordable crisis and people are
aware of this.
But if you look at other cities
like lar Dallas, Chicago, you
know, obviously you can point to
LA and New York City, but
there's a lot of cities in
between that are bigger that uh
their affordability problem has
become much larger than his.
I think people living here for a
long time feel feel it, but um,
I think city leaders are really
ahead on that.
So uh going into like housing,
um, what would you say that
okay, so we know we need more
rooftops, we need more doors.
We've done a great job of that.
We're continuing, we see cranes
in the sky, we see it's pretty
active construction sites qu
across the the metro.
What is a city, you know, what
is a city able to do, or what
are you guys doing too before
we're thinking about adding more
housing?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
Um two things.
One, uh, and not only two
things, but I think the two
things that that are are
relevant to today is one is
shorting up our internal
processes so that we can
expedite the timelines and and
and within our planning
department.
I think we've had a lot of
success there and we'll continue
to build on that.
SPEAKER_04: And the other is
Shout out uh Br Britton Bosick.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Britain's
fantastic.
Yeah.
In long-range planning.
I mean, our whole team in
development services is
fantastic.
Um and then the other is
infrastructure investment.
So um I, you know, I'm you knew
you weren't gonna get a podcast
out of me without talking about
the bond issue that's gonna be
going before the voters in March
of 2026.
And um, the biggest single item
on that bond that will be on the
ballot is um for water and sewer
improvements.
And to me, that's a housing
issue.
100%.
Because if we don't have
adequate investment in water and
sewer, we can't build more
houses.
We'll be at capacity and we'll
find ourselves like other
communities within this region
and beyond that are at capacity.
And I don't want that to happen
because I want to continue to
grow and to build more.
And so um infrastructure
investments.
SPEAKER_04: I would say stop the
listeners there for sure.
Look at like no matter if you're
in Fayeville, Springdale or
Rogers or Benville, look at
those bond issues because they
are it is for to spur growth.
SPEAKER_05: I think it's like
it's pretty across both aisles,
pretty uh unanimous that and
Merit, I think you're correct as
far as the sewer goes.
We've seen I have a lot of
builder buddies that are
building in Centerton and and
Betonville and Or they wanna be.
They want to be, they want to
be.
And uh I texted one of them, I
saw the Walton family or the
Walton Foundation donated for
the sewer fix in Betonville.
I said, Hey, does this help you
out?
He's like, not in Centerton, it
doesn't.
He's like, we still gotta figure
out that.
So I think being forward
thinking on that is is very is
very good.
Um so I just want to tip my cap
to you on that.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
SPEAKER_04: Uh on that, on that
too.
I I talked to uh engineering
Chris who's in the room with us.
Uh same thing.
Like there was sewer capacity
for site, made an offer on, and
there was sewer capacity for
like two to three years.
So if I was gonna buy this lamp,
and just because that grant is
enacted today, doesn't mean you
might wave a magic wand and you
get new capacity tomorrow.
I think it's still it's still a
long process to get it pretty
far ahead.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and we we do a
great job of that here.
Um this is another broad
question.
I promise all my questions won't
be broad.
How does North Australian how
does Fayetteville in in
particular stand out in the
broader picture of North
Astarbonsaw as we grow?
I just I just saw the stats from
2025 to 2050 on how we're
supposed to grow.
And those just came out, those
predictions.
And where where does
Fayetteville play a role in all
this?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think
that, you know, you answered
that for me really well in your
intro.
What did you say that
Fayetteville was the creative
and culture?
I mean, you had a great tagline.
I mean, I'm so proud of
Fayetteville.
I love it so much.
I mean, I think being home to
the state's flagship university,
the land grant institution, you
can't put a price tag on that.
I don't know how you would even
begin to quantify the economic
development that having the
university brings, as well as
the culture of being in a
college town.
I mean, it's um there is
something about it that is um
unique and that is authentic.
And I think that is something
that Fayel has a feel to it that
when you're there, you know
you're there.
And uh not all of that is pretty
and polished, not all of it is
um slick and shiny, but it feels
real and I think that resonates
with people.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
People I I all the time people I
I keep Fayel funky.
There's a there's a there's a
theme there that does bring a
lot of character that um I mean
this this area of Rogers, yes,
is really cool up here in the
pinnacle area, but it doesn't
have that high, high character
that a Fayetteville brings.
SPEAKER_04: U of A creates a lot
of stickiness, is what I like
coming here 10 years ago.
What I've noticed like to re
like people that go to U of A,
like they feel pride in
Fayetteville and they want to
stay in Fayetteville.
So I think it does create uh
that because I I my first year
here I lived in Fayetteville.
It was fun.
I was single, young at the time,
and you know moved to K Springs
and then moved to Rogers.
But you know, there is a certain
charm, and and I think the tree
preservation as a developer,
it's like, man, that kind of
hurts.
But also at the same time, it
creates a cool atmosphere to
Fayetteville.
So I think it's like how do you
create more?
You want to create more and do
more, but you also don't want to
create a concrete jungle that
is, you know, Dallas.
You know, you want to keep this
but high character, high
character, high character.
SPEAKER_00: Because that's the
reason that brought that
investment to town in the first
place.
SPEAKER_05: Right?
Yes.
So don't want to get rid of it.
A question that leads off of
that is how do we how do we keep
like high character
neighborhoods while also
thinking of affordable housing
and you know, if you if you're
doing affordable housing
neighborhoods, it it typically
that what brings to my mind uh
authentically isn't is not like
high character type
neighborhoods.
How do you keep how do you keep
the neighborhoods authentic and
high character with with also
providing affordable housing,
which is like sometimes can look
like cracker jack boxes, boom,
boom, boom, boom, boom.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think we
have to expand what we so two
things.
One, I think about people mean
many different things when they
say affordable housing.
And so I think that um all
housing is affordable to
someone, right?
And that sounds like a really
out-of-touch answer, and that is
not how I mean it at all.
What I mean is that we need more
housing, period.
At all price points.
And um so I think that is the
one, because the more doors,
rooftops, whatever you want to
call it, the more housing we
have, the demand is going to
lessen and it is going to
naturally help with the
affordability question.
Um and so I think about it as
attainable housing.
I also think we have to expand
our imagination on what
affordable housing can look
like.
Right.
I think we have this um
outdated, sort of like
antiquated expectation that
affordable housing is, you know,
run down, you know, and it
doesn't have to be.
And so I don't, I don't, um,
yeah, I don't have the I that is
the um not rising to the top of
my concern.
SPEAKER_05: Well, as a n the the
it's the nation's trended
towards smaller blueprints, uh
studio style things that like
don't have to be cheap, they can
be nicer, but a smaller
blueprint we can make nicer.
Uh you can do 500 square foot
studio apartments or homes that
are uh the nation and that look
nice.
Then that the nation's trending
towards, of course.
SPEAKER_00: You've got me
looking at my notes because I
wrote so many, like thinking
about this conversation and
things that I wanted to say.
SPEAKER_04: And then I think I
think for developers it, you
know, it's hard like uh the city
can only do so much, you know,
besides m try to be more
collaborative, try to shorten
timelines, you know.
Um I think there there's issue
three that I know is coming
along.
Uh I don't think we had this on
here, but it's like uh yeah,
economic development districts
and yeah, which I I'm just now
learning about and know that
there'll be basically like tax
incentives for development.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
So it comes out and um gives it
getting some incentives there.
Um I would like to piggyback off
of that.
How would you describe current
permitting timelines and then
plans?
I know you talked about a little
bit about their internal systems
and processes and straightlining
streamlining some things.
Um, how would you describe
current permitting processes and
ideas, things and and plan and
works to maybe help those going
forward?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, I would
describe them as um improving
and I think surprising for um,
you know, um I'm proud of our
development services team.
I think that, you know, when you
um I I can't say enough about
the importance of communication
and um kind of walking through
that process and like meeting
deadlines and submitting
applications like you know,
completely and not not not
haphazardly.
SPEAKER_01: Right.
SPEAKER_00: Um, because our
standards are high in
Fayetteville.
Um but we do get we care about
neighborhood character, we care
about what things look like, we
care that things are safe.
And so of course we have high
standards.
But I'm I'm I feel good about,
of course, I always want things
to move faster, and I know
everybody does, and I understand
that in the development world,
time is money.
And yet I feel good about um
we've we've continued to see um
surprises in terms of every
project is so different.
So it's hard to apples to
apples, like how long is it
gonna take?
Well, it depends.
There are like so many different
factors that you know, do you
need a rezoning and like what
type what what are you building
and like where?
But I mean, for the most part,
I've been I've been pleased with
the success we've seen.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04: On those.
Any tips for developers that
want to move efficiently in that
in that process?
SPEAKER_00: You know, y'all are
jumping all over the place.
SPEAKER_04: You had this in like
I saw you waiting for your
notes, so that's why I actually
was gonna go.
SPEAKER_00: And then they hit me
with the gotcha.
SPEAKER_04: We thought you were
you'd be trained for this.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I don't
think.
SPEAKER_04: And that's like more
that could be more of a a
planning department question.
You know, that's I mean, yeah.
You could add you talk to your
engineers, you talk to your
architects, you talk to the you
set up a mo meeting with
Britain, you talk with the the
planning department.
So I think historically, Favil I
I can go to the next one.
If you think that's what do you
agree?
Yeah, I uh I would say talk to
your engineer, talk to your
architect.
SPEAKER_00: Talk to your
engineer, talk to your
architect.
Don't um you know, don't try
just have don't be afraid to
talk to the planning staff.
You know, have open uh
collaboration with, you know,
and be mindful of deadlines and
be mindful of timelines and just
prepare.
I mean be prepared.
SPEAKER_04: I think uh what I
see from a lot of investors is
they have this hypothetical plan
or this idea, and that's kind of
what it is.
It's an idea.
So I think my advice to listen
to like do as much due diligence
as you can.
SPEAKER_00: But don't wait until
the last minute.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, don't yeah, ex
have some time in there.
Um I'll go to the next one then
on that.
Historically, Fayville has
carried a reputation for being
harder to build and compared to
neighboring cities.
I think you kind of touched on
it on you know uh standards.
How fair would you say that
perception is fair today?
What what could they not be
factoring in?
What improvements are being made
to make a smoother experience?
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I
look, I'll be honest.
I mean, of course, I have heard
that.
Um I think it's uh I think we're
changing that narrative.
I think that narrative is
shifting.
I mean, I sat down, I'm not
making this up, just yesterday
with a developer that was like,
you know, Fayetteville, this is
one of the um, you know, your
staff is one of the, you know,
the best in the region.
Uh, we find this process so
easy.
You were upfront, you were
clear, we were clear about
expectations.
Um, and they love working in
Fayetteville.
And so, and that I know that
that I can tell by the look on
your face, that kind of
surprises you.
And it really shouldn't, because
we don't um we are open for
business.
We do want to invite investment.
I think that you hit the nail on
the head a little bit in your
question when you said compared
to neighboring cities.
And it's like, you know, we are
a place of a hundred thousand
people.
Um, we are the second largest
city in the state.
We are home to a university, we
have a complex or array of so
many different zoning districts.
More about that in a minute.
Um, and we're in one of the
largest metros and the fastest
growing metro, fastest growing
metros, not largest, but fastest
growing metros in the country.
And so if you are a developer
and you are comparing us to what
it was like to build in, you
know, rural Arkansas 25 years
ago, yeah, then yes, it is
probably going to feel hard and
complex.
But when you factor in where
Fayetteville is today and where
our region is today and with the
issues that we're grappling
with, I I don't think that um I
I don't think that's fair
anymore on the whole.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Is it harder to, you
know, to build in Fayetteville
in 2025 than it was to build in
Rogers in 2002?
Sure.
SPEAKER_05: Maybe more on par
with like a uh pre-blown-up
Austin um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00: I just think our I
just think we have to shift our
ex level of expectation.
Yeah.
You know.
SPEAKER_05: That makes a lot of
sense.
SPEAKER_04: I think that yeah,
that's a great answer.
And uh I think obviously from
the conversation, Fayetteville
wants development.
So it's not like you're being
harder, like or this reputation
of harder to build, you know.
SPEAKER_05: Well there's a price
that comes uh there's a uh price
that comes with with
streamlining.
Um and that could be concrete
jungle.
Um and that's something that I
we want to avoid.
SPEAKER_00: And we do, and just
because I opened the the door
for it, we do have far too many
zoning districts in the city,
and we know that.
And zoning and land use, uh, we
need a new comprehensive land
use plan and we need a new
unified development code.
I mean we do.
And these are things that we
know, they are priorities for
us.
They are planned for in our
capital improvement plan, which
was uh passed by the council
this summer.
And we are in the works at the
beginning stages of launching
both of those things.
And so um I think that will
really go a long way towards uh
making it easier.
You know, we don't need 48
zoning districts or however many
we have.
You know, we don't need a
billion zoning districts, right?
So I think simplifying that's
huge is also is is huge.
But it also takes a lot of work.
Um it's expensive, both in terms
of money, but also in terms of
staff time.
It's labor intensive, and you
want to do it right.
And you want to do it with the
right expected outcomes where
you are taking we don't want to
be cookie cutter.
We don't want to buy something
off the shelf.
We want to do something that
comes from a lot of community
feedback and engagement and that
comes from listening to our
constituents.
SPEAKER_05: For something like
that.
Correct.
For something like that, do you
go to a city that's been there,
done that, and talk to them and
go, what worked for y'all is.
I think so.
SPEAKER_00: And what did and and
almost as importantly as what
worked for y'all, what what
mistakes did you make?
Right.
What what didn't work for you
all?
What lessons did you learn?
SPEAKER_03: But I think
absolutely what would you feel
you brandon, you guys.
I was gonna I was just gonna
say, what what cities out there
do you are do you all look to
when it comes to I don't know
that's the same.
SPEAKER_04: I mean everybody has
a most of the original, right?
But um in the region, out of the
region.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, yes
and yes.
Here's what I will say.
I will say depending upon what
we are looking at, we benchmark
against all kinds of cities,
right?
So for example, um if we're
talking about like our fire
department, we have cities that
we know, like, hey, they've got
a great fire department.
Let's uh benchmark against that,
some within the region, some
within the state, some out of
state.
SPEAKER_04: Something I wouldn't
even think about, like a fire
department.
You're like benching as a
strategic plan.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we need to
know like how many firefighters
per population do we need?
What's our response time?
Are we under, I mean, that's a
whole other rabbit hole under
maybe another podcast.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: So depending upon
the topic, depending upon the
content area, we benchmark
different cities.
Yeah.
So it's not one city that we
look to for everything.
Yeah.
So when it comes to land use,
there may be cities both within
and without the region that we
want to learn from that are
completely different when we're
talking about, you know, water
sewer.
So I mean, I think it just
depends.
SPEAKER_04: I've heard so many
comparisons to other cities,
like I've heard like North
Carolina City, compared, like
the uh there's a favourite
angle.
Yeah, there's a Faivo Raleigh,
Durham, North Carolina.
SPEAKER_00: Raleigh.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
And then, but you also get some
comparisons to like some
Colorado cities.
So it's interesting.
Uh I'm I wonder if you talk to
that those those types.
SPEAKER_00: I I do.
And so I talk to a lot of city,
um, and then also I'm in a in an
SEC mayors group, and it's a a
group that we just started and
formed this year with mayors of
all the other SEC cities.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: And so, you know,
Favel, we're not the same, we
don't have a ton in common with
Nashville or with Starkville,
right?
But we do have university-city
relationships in common.
So, in that, with regard to
that, we do benchmark against
those cities.
But then when it comes to
building, then you know we're
not looking at Nashville for
land use.
SPEAKER_04: That's a sweet uh I
would love to be in the room
with the SEC.
Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Like I said, No,
it's brutal during football
season.
SPEAKER_04: It's brutal for me.
SPEAKER_00: It's brutal for me.
I mean, like, yeah, not not for
everybody, but I don't and I
don't enjoy it.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: From that aspect of
it.
SPEAKER_05: Well, let's keep
moving here.
I'm gonna say which job sectors
or industries are you
prioritizing for long-term
growth uh for Fayetteville?
SPEAKER_00: Um we're seeing a
lot of interest in you know like
small manufacturing and I think
you also talked about the uh
packaging specialties expansion.
Um I'm excited about the growth
down in our industrial district
um and um also in the um the
technology um campus down by the
engineering research center.
Um and so I think in the tech
space and the small
manufacturing space, I'm excited
to see what comes of, you know,
what can come of that, of really
some targeted attention being
paid to those sectors.
SPEAKER_05: Totally, totally.
Um with your experience um and
background, leading experience,
Fayeville.
Um I actually as a young sales
rep for uh I was a young sales
rep working for my dad's
company, TDS IT.
SPEAKER_00: I remember Oh, we
used to we used you for
printing.
I I did I call you and complain
about my printing?
SPEAKER_05: No, no.
I I remember as a young
salesman, salesman coming in
there and and I was like, I
seeing you in person, I remember
talking to you.
Oh my gosh, it was unknown.
You were nice.
You were very nice.
SPEAKER_00: It was unnice.
SPEAKER_05: I usually am.
That mem memory just popped up.
Yep.
Um sorry.
With your background and leading
experience, Favel, how how does
tourism, arts, um, and quality
of place tie into economic
development and best map?
SPEAKER_00: They are.
To me, tourism is economic
development.
And if you're working in
tourism, you are doing economic
development, you're just using a
different set of tools to do it.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: And so um when we
think about the arts, the
culture, the quality of life,
the access to parks, the access
to trail, those are things that,
you know, from an economic
development lens, those are
things that employers look for
in site selection, right?
When we get requests for
information, they are looking
for those things because that's
what can lead to talent
recruitment and retention.
Yeah.
And that's talent is going to
follow that.
And so having those amenities.
I mean, I just had a
conversation yesterday with
someone about how the aquatic
center was something that they
felt like they were going to be
able to use when they were
talking to the spouses of people
that they were recruiting, the
spouses and families of people
they were recruiting.
Yeah.
Because, you know, he they had
missed out on a hire because
their daughters were competitive
swimmers and they didn't have a
place to swim here.
I mean, that's one anecdote and
that's small, but those things
matter when it comes to
attracting talent.
And so it absolutely is critical
to economic development.
SPEAKER_05: Are there any things
on your radar right now like,
hey, we would like to do this
for economic development?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yes, but I don't
know that I should say because I
don't really I'm gonna like put
my foot in my mouth.
I mean, business is to know that
we are open for business and
that we want you all here.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: We want you to make
investments in Fayetteville.
We are proud of Fayetteville.
Um, and we want you to um, you
know, talk to us and reach out,
ask questions, like let us help
you, let us talk through uh why
we think we let's see if we're a
fit.
So I mean, I think just planting
that flag of we're here, we're
open.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I love I love
that.
I love that.
Um, guys, do we want to jump to
uh uh 24 through 27?
Does that work for you guys?
Yeah.
Okay.
Let's go to uh minute 24 through
27.
Um favorite corridor or
neighborhood to watch for growth
in Fayetteville?
SPEAKER_00: Uh shouldn't be any
surprise, College Avenue.
I think that corridor
specifically um from I don't
know, like Lafayette, like Maple
to down to like uh just past
Sycamore.
I'm really excited.
I know the construction right
now is a pain, but I'm excited
about the growth that's
happening there and and really
about being able to transform
College Avenue.
I think that's gonna be lovely.
SPEAKER_05: Brand, you got the
you want the second one?
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, favorite
hidden gym in Fayetteville,
something that maybe most people
overlooked.
SPEAKER_00: Arcadia Retro Case.
Yeah, down in Evelyn Hills.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_05: I love that place.
Love that place.
SPEAKER_00: The whole little
shopping center down there.
I love, you know, it's great.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, love Lone
Wolf, Old Wolf back there.
Yep, same.
Um, favorite spot for lunch in
Fayetteville.
SPEAKER_00: I am, you know what?
I every time I answer this
question, someone gets mad at
me.
And so what I will just maybe do
a top three or something.
What I will just say is one of
my favorite parts about working
downtown on the square is I can
walk to so many restaurants or
get Clunk, who is our uh local
uh delivery guy, Chris Clunk.
Uh have um he delivers to so
many local favorite, like local
favorites that are right around
me.
So I'm very well fed.
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
That's a great spot to grab a
bite to eat down there.
The square just has a a great
vibe to it, too.
Like no matter what you're
eating.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: And you can walk to
like feed and follow, you know,
and feed and file, and we're
kind of growing out to where
there are some even some more
adjacent places off the square
too.
SPEAKER_05: Is it yeah, I was a
question?
Is um Tom Allen, we we we talked
a little bit with him on the
development of Pinnacle and like
him making it him wanting to
make it more walkable for people
to walk back.
Are there are there thoughts of
like, hey, making the square
more walkable than just a
square, and how can we expand?
Is that yeah?
SPEAKER_00: So you mentioned uh
Brittan Bostick earlier.
She's already launched our
fables downtown master plan.
Okay.
We our downtown master plan
hadn't been updated in like over
20 years.
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: And so part of that
is like, how do we I don't want
the square to, I mean, it's okay
to feel different, but I don't
want us to act as if downtown
Dixon Street and the square are
these two islands.
I want it to feel like this
cohesive area.
And I think that the work that
we're doing with like lighting
improvements, side improvements,
I think will help with that.
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
That's great.
And it seems like there's other
things in motion, like, you
know, I guess kind of pocket
communities, if you will, with
things that you can walk to.
One that comes to mind is like
stage station area over there
where there's now there's
confident coffee that people can
walk to.
I know there's conversations or
maybe things in motion about
other, maybe like pop-up coffee
shops or restaurants or things
like that within neighborhoods.
Is that kind of part of the
other plan as well of
walkability?
Absolutely.
Stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
There's one going on, like an
adaptive reuse project going on
on Township, which is an old
church that they're looking to
turn into a concept.
There's a uh Mount Comfort
development that is more like
kind of town square feel.
And I I love that.
I mean, I I love downtown.
Um I just want more areas of and
I want more areas of towntown to
uh of Fayetteville to feel like
they can have their own little
downtown.
I'm a big fan of having mixed
use.
I know it's a balance though.
I mean, I understand back to
your earlier question about um
neighborhood character.
I do understand and and respect
that um I I think you can be
thoughtful about having both.
SPEAKER_05: Thoughtful is a good
great word for that, for sure.
Um biggest misconception about
Fayetteville's development
process.
I mean, we kind of covered it.
SPEAKER_00: Um that it's
inconsistent.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Uh biggest
misconception that it's that
it's inconsistent or that it's
um somehow plays favorites
because um we are if anything,
um our development team is I
mean, they are extremely ethical
and um you know, d by the book
and we don't we don't try to we
don't try to get it's we don't
take there's no fun in like
gotcha.
Like we don't wanna we want you
to succeed.
SPEAKER_05: Totally agree.
Um this is something I think our
our listeners will really enjoy
is if I'm pitching Fable to
investors, what are like three
key points I should lead with?
SPEAKER_00: You know what?
I wrote this down because I
wanted to make sure.
So I'm gonna start with strong
talent pipeline and culture of
innovation.
I think that's um largely into I
mean the resources right there
of having the University of
Arkansas and with the culture of
innovation through like Startup
Junkie and the uh small business
technology and development
center at the University of
Arkansas.
I mean, those are that's a right
there with that one.
Um the diversity of people, the
diversity of as well as the
diversity of you know, place.
Yeah.
Um and um we are ready, you have
an administration that is ready
to try new approaches and try
new things and to um innovate,
and it doesn't scare us to be
doing something for the first
time.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, love that.
Love that.
Um what types of developers,
operators, or project is
projects or FAVAL trying to
attract?
What kind of um projects, things
like that would FAIVL try to
attract at this point?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we want to um
we want projects that can meet
the existing need, but also um
align with our long-term goals
around infrastructure.
And so things that can be
successful long-term and that
align with our you know, broader
vision and and broader plans.
We're not necessarily like, I
want to I want to think
long-term and bring things that
pay a dividend to the community.
SPEAKER_05: Right.
A question that just popped to
my mind is does Fayetteville
plan on going upwards as far as
development goes?
Like like I I don't know,
because you I go to I go back
and forth to Tulse all the time
and there's huge buildings and
yeah, some gorgeous
architecture.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I think
that I believe that we have to
in a careful way look at where
it makes sense to build up.
I just think that it is from a
land use perspective, from an
infrastructure for perspective,
from a cost perspective, like
and you know, there's only so
much more growing out that we
that we can take.
And I want to preserve our, you
know, I I love our rural areas,
the border fable, and I want to
keep those.
And so at that point, we have to
look at going up.
Um, that doesn't mean that I
want a skyscraper on every
single street.
So I think we have to be really
mindful about where we allow
that and where we don't.
And I think we all need to get a
little bit more comfortable with
hype.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
We did we talked with Tom Allen
about how you know you put a
60-story building here in
Pinnacle, it's gonna look really
weird.
So like you you gotta you gotta
be very mindful.
We have some 30, 30 story
things, and you were starting
you can kind of start creeping
it up, but you can't just stay
it looked like a And to be
clear, I'm talking about like
let's get comfortable with three
stories, right?
SPEAKER_00: Let's get
comfortable with like some
duplexes or maybe tripod.
You know, let's get com and
those aren't even up, but I mean
let's just be a little bit more
comfortable with the diversity
of of housing types and building
types.
SPEAKER_05: I agree.
100%.
Um where should investors or
builders start if they want to
engage with the city?
Um I'm new to the area, I'm a
new new investor or builder.
Um pre-app meeting, planning
portal or key contacts as far as
that goes.
SPEAKER_00: We need for people
to start with our pre-approval
process.
Okay.
We have um and and reach out to
the development services team.
SPEAKER_05: And um yeah, I mean
that's and that's just online,
uh Fable City Online.
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
Okay.
And I'm looking to see if I have
an exact specific address to
give you.
Yeah, and I do not.
SPEAKER_04: I got a pre-app
meeting scheduled for January
8th with those guys.
SPEAKER_00: And and and please
show up.
I mean, and I know that you
would, but I mean, like, that's
another thing too of like take
advantage of the pre-application
process.
Uh reach out through the the
planning and development portal
on uh on side.
We we want to give you all of
that information.
SPEAKER_05: So I try to be very
cognizant, cognizant of our
time.
We're five minutes over.
SPEAKER_00: Um I talk too much.
SPEAKER_05: Mayor, would you
leave us uh with your closing
message to the region regional
business or um investment
community um for Fayetteville?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
So when I ran, I talked about
access, partnership, and
innovation.
And I used examples of expanding
access to housing, extant
expanding access to small
business support, uh
partnerships, partnerships with
other institutions, partnerships
with the development community,
and also being innovative and
just the way we approach
technology, the way we approach
um, you know, working with our
development and entrepreneurial
community.
And I'm still focused on all
three of those things, but I'm
also really, really committed to
um being collaborative and being
clear and being transparent.
I mean, one of the things I
learned and have learned over
this past year that I probably
didn't have a full appreciation
for before I became mayor in
talking to um d developers is
just the importance of
consistency and predictability,
right?
And it and that it's the when
things are unpredictable,
unpredictable, that's when um
people get nervous, right?
And so we want to be predictable
and upfront and candid and we
want to help.
And so um, you know, if you're
having a if you're stuck and
you're having a tough experience
in Fayetteville, I want to hear
about it.
I want to help make it better.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
You've been an absolute pleasure
to have on.
Yeah, yeah, love that.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00: Pleasure.
I didn't even ask you to fix my
pressure.
SPEAKER_05: Praise God.
Yeah, praise God.
Um guys, thank you guys for
turning tuning in to North's
Arkansas Besting Podcast.
Next episode, we have um Brian,
Brandon, and I going to talk to
through what financial freedom
truly means.
Thanks for tuning in.
Thanks, guys.
Again, thank you guys for tuning
in.
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SPEAKER_03: Have a question you
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