Tina Dale

Fort Smith

Fort Smith Metro Reporter at Talk Business & Politics

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Articles

Multi-year renovation work begins at Fort Smith Museum of History

2 weeks ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

The first phase of a multi-year major renovation project at the Fort Smith Museum of History in downtown Fort Smith began Monday (June 9) with work on the building’s exterior. The City of Fort Smith issued an $800,000 building permit to the Old Commissary Museum Association May 22 for renovation work to the museum’s building at 320 Rogers Ave. Total cost for the entire project is estimated to be around $6 million and take about five years.
Relationships, working with military qualities sought for Fort Smith airport director

2 weeks ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

The Fort Smith Regional Airport Commission is putting experience in working with the military and building relationships at the top of their list of qualifications for a new airport director. Fort Smith Regional Airport in May hired Atlantic Beach, Fla.-based ADK Consulting and Executive Search for $45,306 for their full-search services to fill the airport’s open director position, said Lindsay Conley, airport director of finance and administration.
Fort Smith metro building activity up more than 15% through May

2 weeks ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro had an upward swing in May. Building permits issued in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $29.03 million, up 76.4% from the $16.453 million in May 2024, and up 61.9% from the $17.927 million in April. Year-to-date, the three cities reported $119.326 million in permitted projects, up 15.4% from $103.438 million in the first five months of 2024.
Fort Smith, Van Buren tourism tax numbers down through March

3 weeks ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Hospitality tax revenues are down somewhat in the Fort Smith metro area from last year thanks in part to uncertainty about national economic conditions, but area tourism officials say they are optimistic things will improve. Hospitality tax collections for Fort Smith for March, the latest month for which totals are available, were $103,201, up 14.9% the February collection, said Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Fort Smith sales tax revenue trending lower through April

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Fort Smith sales tax revenue was a little stronger in April than it had been through the first quarter of 2025, but numbers are still under those budgeted for the year, according to the city’s April tax report. The city’s share of the Sebastian County sales tax was $2.146 million in April, up 2.3% from the $2.096 million collected from the tax in April 2024, according to the April sales tax report posted by the city.
Hager focused on ‘building relationships,’ full buildings in downtown Fort Smith

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

It’s been almost a year since Amanda Hager was named executive director of Main Street Fort Smith, formerly 64.6 Downtown. As the new director, she ushered in new branding and ideas, including a way to boost the downtown entrepreneur ecosystem. 64.6 was founded in 2015 by Fort Smith businessman Steve Clark with a goal to serve as a catalyst for economic development by fostering arts and culture downtown.
New Braum’s store, distribution center planned for Fort Smith

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Fort Smith is getting a new Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store. A building permit for construction of a new store for the Oklahoma City-based company was issued by the City of Fort Smith on May 6. The 6,152-square-feet store will be located at 8001 S. Zero Street, near the intersection of Massard Road and Zero Street. The complete project is estimated to cost $800,000. Noble Construction Management LLC of Longview, Texas, is listed as the general contractor for the project.
TigerSasha working to finish new mural in downtown Fort Smith

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Sasha Rayevskiy, better known in the art world as TigerSasha, is making bubbles in downtown Fort Smith. Rayevskiy, a Russian-born American artist from the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk who now lives in Northwest Arkansas, is the muralist and printmaker chosen by Main Street Fort Smith to transform 190 feet of sidewalk between 702 Garrison Ave. and the B.G. Hendrix State Building connecting Rogers Avenue to Garrison Avenue for foot traffic.
Fort Smith metro building permit values up almost 6% through April

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro declined in April but continues to stay ahead of the same time last year. Building permits in Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren totaled $16.453 million in April, down 56.7% from the $37.982 million in April 2024. The April tally was down 38.4% from the $26.723 million in March. Year-to-date, the three cities reported $90.296 million in permitted projects, up 5.6% from $85.511 million in the first four months of 2024.
Incoming Fort Smith Public School superintendent rolls out 100-day plan

1 month ago | talkbusiness.net | Tina Dale

Martin Mahan has a plan for Fort Smith Public Schools – a 100-day plan in fact. He was named the new superintendent of schools for FSPS April 8. A week later, the board voted during a special called meeting to name him as acting superintendent effective immediately and approved a contract with a start date as superintendent July 1. The three-year contract goes through June 30, 2028, and stipulates an annual salary of $225,000.