The main strip of downtown Centerton includes just a handful of businesses — The Ravington, Challulajah Bakery, Marrs Mercantile, Davitt Electric and plastics manufacturer Bemco — along with the former city hall building.

The City of Centerton is proposing a new downtown district on about 400 acres of open fields just across Highway 102 (Centerton Boulevard) from the existing downtown.

While Centerton’s population has grown significantly in recent decades — from about 490 residents in 1990 to the Census Bureau’s latest estimate of 23,953 in 2023 — there’s still a general lack of retail and entertainment options in the city.

The proposed new downtown district could help change that.

“Many people have said Centerton is a bedroom community. All we really have right now is houses,” said Kayla Knight, a planner with the City of Centerton. “Something we've been saying in the planning department is that we don't want to just be the bedroom. We want to be the whole house. We want to be able to eat, sleep, play and work in our own city.”

The city is still in the early stages of planning but has been working with ULI Northwest Arkansas’ Small Cities Initiative to frame the opportunity and outline next steps.

The early concept calls for a walkable, mixed-use development with greater density than the single-family neighborhoods that currently define most of Centerton.

The city is now requesting bids for a more detailed master plan that would cover both the existing downtown — “Old Town” — and the proposed “New Town.”

The master plan will expand on the current concept, determining zoning changes and other development tools that will be needed to bring the project to fruition. The plan will likely be completed by summer 2026.

There are some challenges to navigate. ULI Northwest Arkansas’ report flags floodplain concerns in the existing downtown area that could limit future development there.

Additionally, two high-traffic roads bisect the area — Main Street running north-south and Highway 102/Centerton Boulevard running east-west. 

Still, it’s a chance to build something entirely new and unique to Centerton.

Most of the acreage of the new downtown district is undeveloped, aside from Grimsley Junior High and a state-run fish hatchery, which the report suggests could eventually serve as a recreational asset.

In addition to the government-owned facilities, two private landowners hold most of the remaining land and have been engaged in the planning process.

“They’re just really wanting some guidance from the city on what the city wants,” said Megan Brown with ULI Northwest Arkansas. “They have already been in the mindset of wanting to do some really impactful placemaking.”