Plans are in the works to restore Bud Walton’s former home at 606 E Central Ave. and open it to the public.
James "Bud" Walton was the brother of Sam Walton and co-founder of Walmart.
The Peel Compton Foundation, which will manage the site, received planning commission approval October 7 to use the property, zoned R-1 (Low Density Single Family Residential), as a botanical garden.
The stately 2,930-square-foot home will be renovated and restored as part of the project. It will include a tea shop, public restrooms, and office space for foundation staff, according to documents shared with the planning commission. The property is just over four acres, and “most of the outdoor grounds will be utilized as a part of the botanical gardens.”
A representative for the Peel Compton Foundation said the project is still taking shape and that more details will be shared once plans are further along. The foundation also manages the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden, Compton Gardens, Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, and Osage Park.
According to Vintage Bentonville, a previous house on the property stood for 89 years before being replaced by the current residence in 1938.
Bud Walton purchased the home in 1980, and he passed away in 1995.
Another family owned it for about two decades before it sold for $8 million in 2020 to a company connected to the Walton family. Ownership was transferred to the Peel Compton Foundation in July for $0, according to public records.
The planning commission’s approval to use the property as a botanical garden was unanimous. One condition requires that any plans to add paved parking receive separate approval through the large-scale development process.
Sewer capacity was also mentioned in planning commission documents. In parts of Bentonville, development is paused or slowed due to a sewer system that has not kept up with growth.
A note from water utility staff stated there “are currently multiple sections of the public sewer system that are at capacity downstream of this location.” While the water utility has no objection to the change in use, it said that sewer flows will need to be calculated and that “no increase in flow will be allowed.”