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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
JANUARY 2019
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“Everybody wins” Regional approach sets table for economic growth
Conway, Maumelle and Morrilton are textbook cases for economic development. Although they have a healthy sense of competition, the cities benefit from each other in a “one-for-all, all-for-one” mentality to create a strong regional draw. Jamie Gates, executive vice president for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation, said it’s a relationship that benefits all three. “When we’re working on attracting people to the region – Maumelle, Morrilton and Conway – they all have different strengths. We complement each other well,” he said. Conway is the largest of the three cities with a population of 65,000. Known as the City of Colleges, it’s home to the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College and Central Baptist College.
Students from Conway, Maumelle and Morrilton are among thousands who walk the campuses. Conway also has two hospitals: Conway Regional Health System, established in 1921, and Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway, which opened in 2016. Conway Regional in December announced a $40 million building project to start in 2019. Those entities alone pack a big economic punch. The Meadows and Office Technology Park, described by Chamber president Brad Lacy as “our sweet spot in the economicdevelopment world,” is home to top-tier companies. Those include DXC and Insight, both Fortune 500 technology companies, and Crafton Tull, an engineering, architecture and surveying firm. Conway is home to internationally known data company Acxiom;
home-grown Nabholz Corp., a national, multi-service contractor; and many others. A buzz has been building for years about Central Landing, a 150-acre mixed-use development on the site of Conway’s former airport. The first project is underway – construction of a luxury apartments complex on 18.7 acres of the property, a $70 million investment. Conway is already considered a shopping mecca for many in the region, with its mixture of big-box stores and locally owned boutiques. Lewis Crossing and Conway Commons shopping centers are booming. Economic development isn’t just brick and mortar; city leaders talk about quality of place. For example, visitors come to Conway during the holidays to see the 54-foot lighted Christmas tree in downtown, take a carriage
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