Maumelle sets groundbreaking for new park
Commercial Real Estate Awards honor significant achievements; Maumelle basketball soars to conference championship, No. 1 seed in state tournament plus sports and headlines.
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MEETINGS: The Maumelle Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall. The agenda can be viewed by clicking here. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed on the city's YouTube page. The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: Maumelle will have a groundbreaking for its new Gateway Park at 10 a.m. this Friday. For more, keep scrolling. Casting calls for the Argenta Contemporary Theater’s upcoming production of “On Golden Pond” will be this Saturday. Monologue auditions will start at 10 a.m. with callbacks starting at 5 p.m. Auditions will be held at 401 Main St. in downtown North Little Rock. “On Golden Pond” will start May 14 and be directed by Quinn Gasaway.
Maumelle sets groundbreaking for new park
Maumelle will break ground on the long-planned Gateway Park at 10 a.m, this Friday,
The city’s new park is located at the corner of Maumelle Boulevard and Millwood Circle and the location is a familiar one as it was previously the site of a fire station and court building.
The park was first announced in 2022 and after some delays should be ready later this year.
Disappointingly, the groundbreaking is literally just that as the wrecking ball won’t arrive until Monday and that’s when the real fun begins.
Anyway, there will be drinks and maybe some snacks along with the obligatory shovels for the ceremonial dirt turning.
The new park will feature dedicated space for food trucks and will also serve as the city’s connector to the Regional Greenway Trail and the envisioned Maumelle Corridor, Mayor Caleb Norris said.
“We are strengthening our community through connection and providing the amenities that draw businesses and grow communities,” he said.
Elected officials, and retired members of the city’s former Department of Public Safety as well as the police and fire departments have been invited to attend, as well as the public.
This is one of several significant projects done by the Maumelle Parks & Recreation Department in the last year.
Commercial Real Estate Awards honor significant achievements
The Commercial Real Estate Council of Metro Little Rock held the seventh annual Commercial Real Estate Awards on Tuesday and recognized significant achievements and the largest real estate transactions in metro Little Rock made by local brokers in the previous year.
Transactions are recognized in the categories chosen when the transaction was submitted. Sales are based on reported dollar amounts and leases are based on reported square footage.
LEASES
Largest Industrial Lease: 1601 Gregory Street/Priority Wire & Cable – Ted Dickey, Lighthouse Asset Advisors
Largest Medical Lease: 100 Four Paws Lane/Fresenius USA Manufacturing – Drew Holbert & Clark Irwin, Colliers Arkansas and Randall K Moore, Terry Moore & Associates
Largest Office Lease: 5 Allied Dr/Lyon College – Kim Battle, Justin Bentley, Mark Bentley, Kevin Huchingson, Bill Pendergist & Isaac Smith, Colliers Arkansas
Largest Retail Lease: 1200 Breckenridge Drive/Film Alley – Hank Kelley & Daryl Peeples, Kelley Commercial Partners
SALES
Largest Industrial Sale: 400 Murphy Dr/ACE Hardware Regional Distribution Center – William Callahan, CBRE
Largest Land Sale: Chenal Parkway & Rahling Road – Tract 1, Lots 8 & 9B – Leonard Boen, Commercial Realty and Ryan Gibson, Rick O’Brien & Jason Parker, Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners
Largest Multi-Family Housing Sale: 11700 Pleasant Ridge Road-11810 Pleasant Ridge Road/Pleasant Ridge-Pleasant Ridge Pointe – Ted Bailey, III & Richard Cheek, The Multifamily Group
Largest Office Sale: 7773 Sloan/Lexicon – Hank Kelley, Nick Kelley & Gary Smith, Kelley Commercial Partners
Largest Retail Sale: 17711 Chenal Parkway/The Promenade at Chenal – William Callahan, CBRE
Commercial Real Estate Impact Award
The Impact awards recognize the positive effects of innovative ventures, support, experiences, or long-term projects that are key to the success of individuals or businesses who help make metro Little Rock a healthy commercial real estate market. CREC recognizes the design and construction of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Stella Boyle Smith Music Center’s contribution to the commercial real estate market and the performing arts community.
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Stella Boyle Smith Music Center
In September 2024, after nearly 60 years of renting space, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra opened what CEO Christina Littlejohn believes is the only facility that belongs entirely to the orchestra it serves.
The 20,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art building seeks to provide a radically welcoming hub of musical activity for all Arkansans, serving youth and adults of all ages. The building will provide access to music education, music performances, and music making through new spaces and a broadcast and recording studio. The building is designed with two wings divided by a central lobby and lounge area. One side houses the administrative offices for the orchestra's 15 staff members, four practice rooms and two classrooms for the orchestra's educational arm, the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy. This space allows orchestra members to give private and group lessons. The other side of the building features Morgan Hall with space for instrument storage (including the orchestra's 9-foot Steinway piano), a mother's/quiet room, a catering kitchen, and a fully operational recording studio. The center was designed by Witsell Evans Rasco Architects and built by Bailey Construction.
The center is a strong presence in the East Village at 1101 E 3rd Street, and in keeping with Arkansas’ rich tradition of music creators, the Stella Boyle Smith Music Center aims to inspire appreciation for all kinds of music, be an accessible resource for those learning the craft, and help cultivate the next generation of music creators.
Commercial Real Estate Project of the Year 2024
Breckenridge Village, 10301 N Rodney Parham Road
Breckenridge Village is a landmark retail shopping center located at the intersection of I-430 & Rodney Parham that has been in existence since the early 80s. The property was purchased in May 2022 by a group of local investors with a plan to redevelop the center to a dining and entertainment destination. The local investment group includes several restaurateurs that have been instrumental in the recruitment of quality local restaurants. In March 2023, in the middle of the redevelopment project, a devastating tornado ripped through the center causing major damage and rendering the tenant spaces unhabitable. The repairs included new roofs, mechanical systems, exterior wall repairs, and costs to repair several tenant spaces. The tornado delayed the project for one year, but several restaurants are now open for business and doing very well. The remaining spaces will be leased to service-oriented businesses or offices as well as a new theater venture which will feature Duckpin Bowling, 8 movie auditoriums, and an arcade. Breckenridge Village was designated as the Breckenridge Village Entertainment District, a destination location for Little Rock.
Owner/Developer: KBK-Breck LLC
Landlord’s Agent: Hank Kelley, Daryl Peeples & Brooke Miller, Kelley Commercial Partners
Architect: RPPY Architects and Heiple+Wiedower Architects
Contractor: Haney Construction, Keet O’Gary Construction and Nail Construction
Bank: Relyance Bank and First Financial Bank
Tenants: Deluca's Pizza, Root Cafe, Eat My Catfish, Flyway Brewery, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, Neverwhere Coffee, Mt. Fuji Japanese Restaurant, Comics and Oddities, Scoops Homemade Ice Cream, Schulman Theatres Inc's Film Alley
Legend Awards
People are called Legends for many reasons. They might be famous – or infamous – admired, have exceptional ability in a particular area, or held in high esteem for their actions. CREC honors people who fit all these characteristics and have made an outsized contribution to metro Little Rock’s commercial real estate community. Past Legends include Rick Ashley, Gus Vratsinas, Jim Hathaway, Jimmy Moses, and Dickson Flake. John Flake and Timothy Grooms, men with life-long family connections to real estate and who, in their individual ways have been important influences on metro Little Rock, even beyond the commercial real estate industry, were recognized with Legend Awards.
Sponsors for the event included:
Gold: BluSky Restoration, Ferstl Valuation Services, Metro Disaster Specialists, Middleton Heat & Air
Silver: C.B.M. Construction, Colliers Arkansas, Evo Business Environments, First Service Bank, PI Roofing, Pro Land Title, Regions Center 400 Capitol, Sage Partners
Bronze: Arkansas Federal Credit Union, Certa Pro Painters, Comfort Systems of Arkansas, Hathaway Group, Pulaski County Title, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, Western Specialty Contractors
Event: Apartment Hunters, Haybar Real Estate, Jefferson County Alliance for Economic Development, MWC, The Multifamily Group.
CREC board members include Matthew Beachboard, Moses Tucker Partners; Reagan Compton, GFF Design; Michael Crosby, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC; Melody DeLone, Canyon View Properties; Derek Fisher, Bank OZK; James Harkins, Blue Whale Development; David Hathaway, Hathaway Group; Rose Kline, Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners; Teresa Kreis, Colliers; Brad Sims, Pulaski County Title; and Payton Smith, Metro Disaster Specialists
For more information contact 501-291-2210 or info@crecmlr.org.
Camp Healing Hearts offers free grief camp
Losing a loved one is difficult for everyone, and grieving a loss is essential to accepting painful feelings and creating an opportunity for growth and a new sense of normal.
Camp Healing Hearts is for Arkansas children ages five to 18 and their families who are grieving the death of a loved one. Part of Kaleidoscope Grief Center, a program of Methodist Family Health, Camp Healing Hearts is a FREE overnight event that will begin at 5 p.m. at Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock on Friday, May 9 and end at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10. Registration deadline is Sunday, April 26.
Utilizing both therapy and recreation, our camp offers children and families an opportunity to discover their own inner strength. An adult caregiver is required to accompany the grieving child or children attending camp. Activities include heart-to-heart time, fishing, crafts, games, campfires, s'mores and much more. It is best for children and families who have experienced a loss of 3-to-6 months or more. Only 100 spaces are available.
You can apply online at https://form.jotform.com/scox/CAMP_HEALING_HEARTS or download the application and mail it to:
Dao Ward
Kaleidoscope Grief Center
1600 Aldersgate Rd., Suite 100B
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Application deadline is Sun., Apr. 26, 2025.
Kaleidoscope Grief Center serves grieving children, teens and their families throughout Arkansas. Grief can be an isolating experience for children. The program helps those dealing with loss and bereavement through education, therapeutic and recreational services, grief support programs, counseling and Camp Healing Hearts.
To register for Camp Healing Hearts, learn more about Kaleidoscope Grief Center or find out how Methodist Family Health can assist your family, visit MethodistFamily.org.
North of the River basketball
Season is over for Maumelle Charter boys and girls
Maumelle boys
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 23-6 and 13-1 in conference play
Last week: The Hornets beat Vilonia on Tuesday night and in a Wednesday night special faced conference rival Little Rock Christian. The game was moved to Wednesday after last week’s weather cancelled school. Maumelle came out hot Wednesday night, jumping out to a 51-23 lead at the half. but the rout wasn’t on as the Warriors rallied and it turned into a nail-biter and an 84-82 win. The victory set off a mini-court storm by the student section then the ladders came out for the traditional cutting of the nets.
What’s ahead: The Hornets travel to Little Rock Catholic this Friday in the regular season finale.
State tournament: The 5A state tournament will be held at Greene County Tech and will begin next Tuesday, The 5A-Central is paired with the 5A-West and Maumelle, as the No. 1 seed, will face the No. 4 seed from the West at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night. The opponent will either be Alma or Russellville. The Airedales and Cyclones are currently tied for third, but Alma has the head-to-head with the regular season finale being this Friday that will determine seeding as Russellville faces league leader Harrison while Alma gets Siloam Springs, currently last in the 5A-West. A first round state tournament win would mean Maumelle plays again at 5:30 p.m on Friday with the semis being at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The state championship game would be the following week at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. Maumelle has played for three state titles, losing all three under coach Michael Shook, the program’s first and only head coach. For the bracket, click here.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent
Friday, Feb. 28: At Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4: 5A state tournament at Greene County Tech.
Maumelle girls
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 7-20 and 2-10 in conference play
Last week: The Hornets lost to Vilonia on Tuesday and Little Rock Christian on Wednesday for back-to-back losses.
What’s ahead: The regular season finale is this Friday at Mount St. Mary and Maumelle will not make this year’s state tournament.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent
Friday, Feb. 28: At Mount St. Mary ... 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas Christian boys
Conference: 4A-5
Final record: 5-18 and 2-10 in league
Last week: CAC lost its regular season finale at Heber Springs.
What’s ahead: The season is over for CAC
For the roster, click here.
The season is over for CAC girls
North Little Rock Boys
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 14-9, 6-5 in league play
Last week: Lost to Bryant on Tuesday but still third in the 6A-Central as the ‘Cats are a half game ahead of Little Rock Central.
What’s ahead: The regular season finale is tonight at Cabot.
State tournament: Springdale is hosting the 6A state tournament this year and it starts next week. Seeding is still a little bit up in the air, but if North Little Rock hangs on to the No. 3 seed, they will face the sixth place team from the West at 8:30 p.m. while the No. 4 seed’s game will be against the No. 5 seed from the West and at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. For the bracket, click here.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4: 6A state tournament at Springdale
North Little Rock girls
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 19-9, 8-3 in league
Last week: North Little Rock won going away against Bryant on Tuesday.
What’s ahead: The ‘Cats have he regular season this Thursday at Cabot but the ‘Cats didn’t get the help they needed as Central upset Conway and win or lose, North Little Rock will be the No. 3 seed from the 6A-Central in next week’s state tournament. As the third seed, North Little Rock will face the 6 seed from the West at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night at Springdale. The bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4: 6A state tournament at Springdale - North Little Rock vs. No. 6 seed, 6A-West, 7 p.m.
Health
The journey
Couldn’t get to the gym because of the snow and cold weather just demands snacks but the gain was marginal and pushed the percentage down to around 40 but things have been more promising as the new week started. Also, the weather delay means Benchuary is still going and will be extended into March.
Part 8 of a 12-part series.
Pandemic deaths unknown
The state Department of Health didn’t update the state’s dashboard this week, again, and deaths still total 532 for the past year. There’s no tab created for 2025 either despite it being March next week and nearing the fifth anniversary of the start of the pandemic. The virus has now killed 14,162 Arkansans since the pandemic began in 2020. That would mean the pandemic death toll has now passed Marion’s 13,635 people, the state’s 29th largest city.
Covid toolkit
There’s now a one-stop shop to learn about vaccination sites and other Covid related information. Click here to learn more.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowds