Bentonville Ballroom, a music venue proposed for downtown, is one step closer to reality after receiving a key approval from the City Council Tuesday, March 31.
The 2,500-capacity music venue would be operated by Live Nation and built on land next to the Momentary.
With a unanimous vote and little discussion, the Planning Commission gave preliminary approval for the property to be used as a music venue at its March 17 meeting. The City Council also had to approve the decision for it to be final, and the project can now move to the next phase of design.
As with the Planning Commission meeting, discussion at the City Council meeting was brief, with only council member Octavio Sanchez speaking before the vote. He raised two concerns.
"One of them is: is there enough parking?" he said. "And I understand there is a plan for it, and I'm relatively happy with it, not extremely happy."
The project plans include 550 parking spaces in garages and note that nearby parking lots could be used if needed.
The other concern Sanchez raised was noise, which he said had been a “continuous problem emanating from the same area.”
However, he said he had received assurances from the project team that both would be addressed.
"Considering the promises, I'll say let's go for it," Sanchez said.
No residents spoke for or against the project at either the planning commission meeting or city council meeting.
What Was Approved, Exactly?
Here are the wonky details of what was approved:
The approval came in the form of a change to the property's Planned Unit Development (PUD), which is a special kind of zoning.
PUDs allow developers to propose developments that are "innovative but which do not strictly comply with the provisions of the zone in which the property is located," per city planning materials. They effectively replace existing zoning rules with an agreed-upon, customized plan made in partnership with the city government.
The PUD, which covers about 18 acres south of the Momentary, was first approved in 2020. At the time, plans included a possible expansion of the museum, but no music venue. Changes to intended use require city approval.
At the Planning Commission meeting on March 17, city planning director Tyler Overstreet said with the PUD, the venue "can set their own parking ratios."
What Happens Now?
The designs will move through the Large Scale Development Process, a multistage review that includes submitting detailed plans, getting sign-off from multiple city departments, and another approval from the Planning Commission.
The venue is targeted to open in 2028.
