Bentonville town square
| Downtown Bentonville | |
|---|---|
| District | |
Confederate monument at the center of the town square
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 Downtown Bentonville
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| Coordinates: 36°22′19″N 94°12′25″W / 36.37194°N 94.20694°WCoordinates: 36°22′19″N 94°12′25″W / 36.37194°N 94.20694°W | |
| Area | |
| • District | 1.5 sq mi (4 km2) |
| • Urban | 21.2 sq mi (55 km2) |
| • Metro | 3,213.01 sq mi (8,321.7 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • District | 4,479 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website | http://www.downtownbentonville.org/ |
Downtown Bentonville is the historic business district of Bentonville, Arkansas. The region is the location of Walmart Home Office; city and county government facilities; and most of Bentonville's tourist attractions for the city and contains many historically and architecturally significant properties. Downtown measures approximately 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) and is defined as the region between Tiger Boulevard to the north, Highway 102 (AR 102) to the south, Walton Boulevard (U.S. Route 71B) to the west and J Street to the east. Similar to other central business districts in the US, Downtown has recently undergone a transformation that included the construction of new condos and lofts, renovation of historic buildings, and arrival of new residents and businesses. Upon opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art the increased tourist traffic related to the museum has made Downtown Bentonville one of the state's most popular tourism destinations.
In the early 2000s, Bentonville adopted a University of Arkansas study that outlined a renovation of the downtown area. Input meetings were held in 2003 with residents and merchants communicating their visions to city administration. Committees selected identified the vision and implementation strategies. In 2004, the Master Plan went into effect. The Master Plan for rehabilitation of Bentonville's downtown includes creating gateways to the district, adding public art, trees, street furniture, parking, and trails while removing overhead utilities and unsightly areas. The plan also suggests maintaining historic architecture and restricting future constructions.
Alice Walton led the Walton Family Foundation's development of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a premier museum dedicated to American art and artists. The museum includes walking trails and educational opportunities in addition to displaying over 450 works covering five centuries of American art. The museums is the most popular in the state, with 604,000 visitors in 2012, its first year. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie.
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