Divinity isn’t divine?

For those reading at some distance, Fayetteville isn’t a village; it’s some 70,000-plus people in a metropolitan statistical area of a good quarter million. Still the overall architecture is short. There are a number of four-five story buildings. The main hotel, once a Hilton (once a Hilton always a Hilton, nyah nyah nyah) and now a Radisson is maybe a dozen. Perhaps a couple of the UA dorms are eight floors.

We don’t have a skyline. We still have hills. We have been leaving the skyscrapers to the other prominent cities Rogers and Bentonville. The fourth city, Springdale, likely has developments on the boards as well. None of those cities has very tall buildings up so far. Besides, Fayetteville has dozens of sites that would be appropriate for big ‘uns.

I’m more worried about the occupancy of the one in question: How many dozen condos will be bought right on top of our nightclub district (a few blocks of Dickson Street) and within a mile of an active freight train railroad track? That’s the location of a proposed 15-story structure. Compromising it down to even nine stories would be too much for the historic part of town, which also includes downtown.

Here’s a recent news article and a recent commentary.

Of course, maybe the so-called Divinity project — said to be named for the confection — would gain more supporters if planners, caring council members and the public knew of the plans to put a Cracker Barrel country restaurant on the top floor. That’s right. And it’s to revolve as well. Imagine: Franchise pork-chop patrons can see from their vinyl booth the university’s Old Main and moments later a hill, then another hill and another, then the new library and the Radisson.

It is Cracker Barrel politics all over again. -30-