Lowell planners sign off on tower

Hunt to build on its campus

Correction: A fact sheet provided by J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. says a planned new seven-story office tower at the company’s headquarters in Lowell will accommodate 1,250 employees. This article included different numbers.

LOWELL -- The Planning Commission approved Monday night a seven-story tower that the mayor said could attract more than 1,000 jobs to Northwest Arkansas.

Officials representing J.B. Hunt Transport Services presented the building's plans during the meeting. It will be located in the company's business park at 615 J.B. Hunt Corporate Drive.

Brad Jester, J.B. Hunt facilities manager, said preliminary plans show the building with about 150,000 square feet of space. He said the company's business park already houses a five-story and a four-story building.

The project could start as soon as July, Jester said. Completion is expected for early 2017, he said.

Mayor Eldon Long said the project will be good for Lowell.

"Lowell has seen a huge benefit from J.B. Hunt being headquartered here," Long said. "We are excited that they have grown to this size."

J.B. Hunt's website states it employs 14,500 people in 400 facilities across the country. It also states it's one of the largest transportation logistics companies in North America. It was incorporated in 1961 and became a publicly held company in 1983.

Officials said the tower will be one of the tallest in Northwest Arkansas.

"We truly are developing a skyline next to I-49," Long said.

Thomas C. Oppenheim, project manager for CEI, said the building will be between Interstate 49 and current buildings at the business park. CEI Engineering of Bentonville has been contracted for the project. The building will be used for office space, Oppenheim said during the meeting. He said als0 there will not be an increase in truck or delivery traffic.

The commission also approved rezoning land on the J.B. Hunt campus for an additional parking lot. The land was rezoned from residential-commercial to business park. No one spoke in opposition or in favor of the zoning change.

James Milner, planning commissioner, noted there was a large buffer zone between the parking lot and other properties. Documents filed with the city describe a wooded lot in the vicinity.

"This looks good to me," Milner said about the rezoning.

The development was approved contingent on J.B. Hunt working with city staff on a traffic study along with any possible drainage concerns. J.B. Hunt also has agreed to help pay costs for updating Apple Blossom Road near the facility.

Business on 05/19/2015

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