“It’s a rare find today in the United States. A destination that has amazing features, including tremendous scenic beauty, boundless recreational opportunities, a progressive local government that understands tourism, and a neat downtown filled with food, beer, and the arts. Welcome to an unheralded part of the Ouachita Mountains in western Arkansas that is a mecca for four wheelers, motorcycle enthusiasts, and mountain bikers. In fact, it is about to become a national attraction for serious mountain bikers. And the newly constructed four or five story hotel at Basecamp Mena will be the first significant lodging facility to capture this spectacular demand,” shared Purpose Lodging in their recent presentation to tourism enthusiasts and officials of the Ouachita Mountains.

Darren Robertson and Purpose Lodging is proposing to build an 70-room hotel and suites in the premiere mixed use development of the town. Moving into the next phase of development, the historic Mena High School project continues to move forward. Given its prime location within the Ouachitas, Mena’s natural beauty has become a boon for business from Arkansans, bordering states and beyond. Due to the influx of tourists, visionaries within the community have come together for the redevelopment planning of downtown Mena becoming the “Base Camp for Mountain Adventures.” Greg Nabholz is redeveloping the former historic former Mena High School into a one of kind destination with office, retail, apartments, event center integrated with a planned Innovation Hub.

“Seeing that Mena is already a “base camp” for people looking to experience all the outdoor adventures the region has to offer, a major project to redevelop the former Mena High School is underway,” shared Rick Chrisman, Chair of the Mena Advertising and Promotion Commission and a treasurer of Mena Downtown Partners. “A new hotel and multi-purpose pavilion is part of the preliminary schematic plan. These would be built on the acreage adjacent to the high school building. This project is currently in the next phase of development and on the verge of becoming reality,” said Chrisman. Revitalize Mena, a nonprofit group, is also assisting in the project development and is currently raising funds for the progression of the architectural designs. With the hotel, bike trails that terminate on the property, and other amenities, this project will be a destination for not only Mena, but the entire region.

During Thursday afternoon’s Planning and Commission Meeting, Walter Deetz came before the Board of Adjustments with a petition of variance requesting the height restriction of 48 feet to be extended to a five story building. This will allow for the construction the hotel. Deetz also petitioned the Mena Planning Commission for the re-zoning of the property located at 320 Mena Street from a Residential 3 to a Commercial 1. Deetz requested this change of zoning designation for the purpose of “hotel, residential, retail and commercial”, as stated on the petition. Both petitions were approved and will be brought before the full council during the August 2022 Council Meeting.

The hotel will be an integral part of the exciting new mixed use development, built in concert with the mixed use development to utilize its location to enhance the development and the town. With the promotional infrastructure in place already in the form of a vibrant Advertising and Promotion Commission headed by Administrator Pasha Watson and Chrisman, Chair of the A&P Commission., Mena is ready to take off and be recognized as a serious regional, national and international tourism destination.

The proposed hotel will be in the middle of and walking distance to all of the amenities Mena has to offer including oldest operating restaurant on Mena Street is the Skyline Café, which opened in 1919 serving breakfast and lunch and Ouachita Brewing, an upscale coffee shop and microbrewery featuring fresh roasted coffee, locally brewed beer, house made pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and pastries and the train depot located in the heart of Mena beside the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks to provide the kind of experience that today’s leisure and business traveler is craving.

According to Chrisman, a contract has been signed for the purchase of 1.33 acres of land; however, a franchise has yet to be determined. Robertson and Purpose Lodging are seeking InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts for a franchise. The next phase of the development will be securing financial investors for the project. There are still contingencies involved, but confirmation may come within the coming month shared Chrisman.