New Bentonville Visitors Center Planned
Last updated Tuesday, December 2, 2008 6:48 PM CST in News
By Robin Mero
THE MORNING NEWS
A world-class visitors center is planned on the Bentonville Square to help shift emphasis from business to tourism travel in the city, said Kalene Griffith, president of the city's Visitors Bureau.
The space will be leased beginning April 1, and, when renovation is complete, the Advertising and Promotions Commission will move around the corner into the new space on Central Avenue between Java on the Square and Phat Tire Bike Shop.
The 4,800-square-foot space will cost $6,000 per month, as compared with $1,800 for the Visitors Bureau's current South Main Street space. Renovation will cost $200,000 and will be split with the building owner, Griffith said.
The commission, which oversees the Visitors Bureau, had a three-hour strategic planning meeting Tuesday afternoon led by Chairman Gary Compton.
Sandy Edwards, the associate director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, spoke briefly about how the museum will draw visitors from afar after opening in 2010.
"We want to use Crystal Bridges as leverage to move us in the direction of a tourist destination, building on the strong foundation of being a business destination," Edwards said.
The flow of business travelers to Wal-Mart and related vendors is slowing, commissioners agreed.
Along with Crystal Bridges, a planned Children's Museum, a science and technology museum and a performing arts center are possible projects to promote.
The commission updated its mission statement to add four final words: To promote and advertise Bentonville and its environs as a tourism destination.
"We are going to become a cultural and arts district, there's no doubt in my mind," Griffith said. Commissioners also said they want to focus on promoting sports-related events.
"We're about to see some dramatic changes ... maybe larger than any of us can imagine," Compton said.
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