Local residents may have noticed construction on South Timberlane Drive, next door to Timberlane Wine and Spirits, and property owner Chris McKnight said he has high hopes for the new commercial development.
And no, it's not going to be a Hooters.
McKnight joked that the popular sports bar would be taking up residence next door to his liquor store, but in reality, he's building a 7,500 square foot building for retail and office space.
"It's just a retail or office building, for people who want to rent a space," McKnight explained.
McKnight, who also owns Timberlane Wine & Spirits and the shopping strip it sits in, said the building will hold four units: one 3,000 square foot space, and three 1,500 square foot spaces.
"The units are a minimum of 1,500 square feet, or you could rent the whole building," he said.
The new commercial space could serve as a new location for businesses that are displaced by the Hillsboro widening project, McKnight said.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation is currently working to expand Hillsboro street, and local businesses are already seeing the effects, though an ARDoT official said last week the agency doesn't expect utility relocation to be finished until late 2024.
However, business owners along Hillsboro Street have already started preparing for the eventual street widening, which will add two roundabouts, a new viaduct and landscaped medians to the road. On Monday, workers were at the T-Ricks Shell gas station on Hillsboro moving the store's sign back from the road.
"There's not a whole bunch of commercial development around this area, and with the Hillsboro widening, I know there's going to be a lot of displaced businesses," McKnight said. "Most of the commercial development that's been done, it's been done for their own business – like, you own a business and you build for your own business. I don't think anyone's built anything lately that's strictly for the public."
McKnight said he hopes to soon have some new neighbors, especially if they can drive traffic down Timberlane.
"I'm just looking for good neighbors, something to attract business after 5," he said. "It would be nice to have something to attract more traffic to this road."
By Monday afternoon, the frame of the new building was going up, and McKnight said he expects construction to be complete by the end of April at the latest.
Those interested in learning more about the property can contact McKnight at [email protected]
A rendering of a new development on Timberlane Drive shows what the new commercial property will look like after construction is complete. (Courtesy of Chris McKnight/Special to the News-Times)