Mena: Heart of the Ouachitas

Natural beauty is a boon for business.

BY RICK CHRISMAN AND GREG NABHOLZ

Historic Mena High School, Addition and Renovation, Mena

The Ouachita Mountains attract visitors from surrounding states and beyond. They come for the autumn colors, scenic vistas, pristine waterways, abundant wildlife, whitewater rafting and ATV trails. Mena is in the heart of the Ouachitas, and the influx of outdoor lovers is a catalyst for redevelopment planning.

Each year, thousands of tourists traveling by car, RV and motorcycle arrive in Mena to take the 54-mile Talimena Scenic Drive that traverses the mountaintops between Mena and Talihina, Oklahoma. Located along this drive at the top of Rich Mountain is Wilhelmina State Park. The park is a 12-mile drive from Mena. In addition to the recently renovated lodge and restaurant, it offers RV and tent camping, a miniature railroad, hiking trails and breathtaking views.

Mena is also minutes from hiking and mountain biking trails, clear rivers and lakes, crystal quartz digging and, for the more adventurous, 40 miles of ATV trails through the Ouachita National Forest and a zipline park that flies through 300-year-old trees.

DOWNTOWN MENA ‘BASE CAMP FOR MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES’

The Talimena Scenic Drive flows into the historic arts district in downtown Mena. Mena Street, also referred to as Main Street, has a variety of restaurants, quaint shops, flea markets, museums and historic buildings that harken back to Mena’s bustling beginning as a railroad town for the Kansas City Southern railroad. The nationally recognized Mena Art Gallery has monthly exhibits. The performing arts theater, Ouachita Little Theater, gives local actors the opportunity to showcase their talent and engage the community.

The oldest operating restaurant on Mena Street is the Skyline Cafe, which opened in 1919. It serves breakfast and lunch six days

a week — with a side of history. The cafe got its name from Skyline Drive, which followed the same route as the Scenic Drive to Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. Other eating establishments along Mena Street include a lunch, coffee and ice cream shop. Another business combines a unique assortment of American handcrafted gifts with a bistro-style restaurant. Further south on Mena Street and across the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks, you will find an upscale coffee shop and microbrewery featuring fresh roasted coffee, locally brewed beer and a light food menu. During the week, the brewery hosts evening performances by local bands. Additional restaurants serve Mexican and Italian cuisine, BBQ, steaks and homemade desserts. Hikers will find trails within minutes of downtown. The Earthquake Ridge Trail is a 6-mile loop that is an easy-to-moderate hike through the Ouachita National Forest. The trail runs along a dry lake bed that once served as the water source for Mena. Locals still refer to it as Ward Lake. In 2020, the Mena Advertising & Promotion Commission identified this untapped resource’s potential for outdoor recreation and for increasing tourism. Its proximity to town offers outdoor lovers an easily accessible way to experience the beauty of the Ouachita Mountains.

Drawing on the popularity of mountain biking, hiking and camping, a master trail plan was recently completed for the 160acre lake site. The plan proposes constructing 6.5 miles of multiuse trails. The system would link to existing trails and would offer progressively challenging levels of trail experiences for runners, hikers and mountain bikers. Development of an additional 8 miles of trails through 750-1,000 acres of National Forest Service property is also planned.

Less than 15 minutes from downtown is the trailhead for the Wolf Pen Gap ATV system, which is made up of over 40 miles of trails winding through the Ouachita National Forest. Cabins, B&Bs, ATV rental and repair shops and other amenities are available to visitors.

The influx of outdoor enthusiasts has created a demand for additional types of housing and entertainment experiences. The city’s effort to meet these demands has led to a major project that is

underway in downtown Mena. The goal of the project is to redevelop the former high school building into a multipurpose center. HISTORIC MENA HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT The historic Mena High School building is situated at the north end of Mena Street across from the Polk County Courthouse and at the foot of the climb to the top of Rich Mountain. This project is envisioned to become an anchor attraction for the downtown as well as the entire region. A few years ago, local investor Walter Deetz purchased the former school building, which had been damaged by an F3 tornado that struck the community in 2009. Deetz made repairs to the 58,000-square-foot building which sits on 7 acres. These repairs included eliminating some outbuildings, replacing the roof, removing asbestos and upgrading the elevator to working condition. In 2017, a group of local business leaders approached Deetz with the idea of renovating this historic building into a mixeduse space. Zach Mannheimer, a nationally known consultant on revitalizing buildings for creative community uses, was invited to speak to the community in an effort to promote support for the project. Following his presentation, Mannheimer and his firm, McClure Engineering, were contracted to do a redevelopment study for the property. He brought in Greg Nabholz, with Nabholz Properties in Conway, a developer and placemaking economic development consultant, to collaborate on the initial plan that was completed in 2018. This plan proposes to turn the former school building and AMR ARCHITECTS RENDERING grounds into a mixed-use facility containing apartments, an innovation center, co-working areas, a maker’s space shop and a commercial kitchen. Other potential uses of the building include an events space that can double as a black box theater and film sound stage and a component of the Polk County Library. Because this property borders a planned trail extension from Ward Lake, retail spaces, such as a restaurant/coffee shop and bike shop/ outdoor outfitter, are also envisioned. In addition, a new hotel and multipurpose pavilion are part of the preliminary schematic plan. These would be built on the acreage adjacent to the high school building. This project is currently in the next phase of development. In addition to the abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, Mena is home to the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain, Mena Regional Health System and Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport. These entities enhance the appeal of the region and add viability to revitalizing downtown. Not only are more people visiting Mena, but many are relocating to the area. Mena is a place people want to be. We who live here know we’re truly blessed to be in such a great place and a great position for revitalizing our city. If the last year has taught us anything, it is to appreciate the outdoors more and to deeply enjoy our experiences. Rick Chrisman is treasurer of Mena Downtown Partners and on the Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission. Greg Nabholz is the CEO of Nabholz Properties.