JONESBORO -- Michael Dixon stands outside his auto-repair business on Airport Road and U.S. 49 and watches the scores of cars that drive by daily.
More than 23,000 vehicles pass by his shop daily, according to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Four decades ago, when the business opened less than 2 miles from the Arkansas State University campus, traffic was much more sparse in the area locally known as "Hilltop," Dixon said.
The Hilltop area in the northeast corner of the Craighead County seat of 73,900 is one of the fastest-growing spots in northeast Arkansas, officials have said. Spurred by the addition of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, which broke ground in 2011 and opened in 2013, Hilltop has seen a boom in commercial growth over the past five years.
"It's something to see," Dixon said. "The traffic is bad in the mornings here, but business has picked up a lot. A lot of people see us every day."
When Randy's Auto Service opened in 1975, Jonesboro boasted a population of 27,000. U.S. 49 was a two-lane highway and the Hilltop area -- named for its location in a low-lying area of Crowley's Ridge -- gave motorists four decades ago the first indication they were heading into a populated area.
After driving past 15 miles of fields and farmland from Paragould back then, travelers heading south into Jonesboro saw a barbecue restaurant and a service station at the corner of U.S. 49 and Arkansas 351 -- the first real hint of civilization ahead.
Brookland, to the north of Jonesboro, was a small dot on the road.
Today, it's hard to tell where Brookland ends and Jonesboro begins, said Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin.
"It used to be the city limits of the two towns were 10 miles apart," Perrin said. "Both towns have annexed, and we're only a mile apart now. There are so many things out there. Churches, restaurants, stores.
"The catalyst is definitely the half billion-dollar hospital. That kicked it off."
Since then, the Hilltop area has seen the addition of three banks, a dozen restaurants, several retail businesses, a grocery store, convenience stores and a hardware store. Because of the growth there, the Jonesboro Fire Department moved its central fire station to Hilltop.
And there is more to come, Perrin said.
Courtyard by Marriott plans to build a $7.5 million hotel near the hospital. A movie theater and Wal-Mart Supercenter are also eyeing the area, the mayor said.
First National Bank plans to build a five-story, 60,000-square-foot "financial park" on U.S. 49, becoming the area's largest financial institution, builders say.
According to Jonesboro city records, the city planning department has issued permits for $32,741,123 worth of work during the past 12 months, including the Rock of Northeast Arkansas -- a nondenominational church on U.S. 49 -- that is spending $1.1 million in renovations to accommodate its congregational growth.
"Obviously, the hospital is the domino that tipped all this growth," said Gary Harpole, a partner with Halsey Thrasher Harpole LLC, a Jonesboro commercial real estate developer. "We anticipated something would come out there for a long time.
"The hospital legitimized the move to the northeast part of town," he said. "That opened the floodgates. It's advantageous to develop land there. It all came together."
Halsey Thrasher Harpole LLC also plans to develop Greensborough Village over the next seven years near the intersection of U.S. 49 and Arkansas 351. Plans call for construction of at least 200 single-family homes, 30 acres of multi-family units and loft apartments atop retail shops.
When the village is completed, more than 2,500 people will live there, Harpole said.
Work should begin next spring, he said.
As a result, the city plans to widen Arkansas 351 to four lanes to accommodate the additional traffic, Perrin said.
Growth is also booming in Brookland, Mayor Kenneth Jones said.
The town of 2,447 is upgrading its water system to accommodate more people who have moved there because of the nearby NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital and the Brookland School District.
"Our town is in a good location," Jones said. "We've got a great school, we have roads, and we have factories and services nearby.
"You really can't tell when you leave Brookland and get into Jonesboro anymore."
Jones said the rapid growth is actually hurting his town because it can't keep up.
"We need to furnish the area we have now," he said. "It's putting a strain on Brookland. It's a good type of strain, but we won't get [revenue] returns until the 2020 Census. It's a struggle.
"You are always trying to catch up on street repairs and drainage. We're proud of what's going on. It's a challenge at times, but it's a challenge we need to be ready for. It's better than sitting around a stagnant town."
The U.S. 49 corridor between Jonesboro and Paragould is somewhat similar to Northwest Arkansas, said Gregory Hamilton, director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Institute for Economic Advancement.
"There are some characteristics alike," he said. "The northeast corner of the state has been strong. I don't see why the growth would stall.
"It has the potential to become like Springdale, Fayetteville and Bentonville in time."
Dixon said he intends to keep his auto service shop in the hub of Hilltop's growth.
"It's good for business," he said of the increase in traffic. "And there's a lot more restaurants where we can go get lunch.
"I plan on staying here. Unless someone makes me an offer I can't refuse."
State Desk on 09/20/2016