Developers began construction this week on the $21 million, six-story 8W Center at 8th and Walton Boulevard across from the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. headquarters in Bentonville.
The project will include ground-level restaurant and retail space, with the middle three stories devoted to parking and the top two floors to office space.
Dave Grunfest Co. of Little Rock is the general contractor, Neilsen Architecture of Bentonville is the architect, Newmark Grubb Arkansas of North Little Rock is the developer and Arvest Bank is providing the financing.
The project is expected to be complete by summer or fall 2016.
The property owner is Troy Link, who with his father Jack owns Link Snacks Inc. of Minneapolis, the company that produces Jack Link's beef jerky. Link also owns several Jimmy John's sandwich shop locations in the region. He owned the Jimmy John's and Jack Link's vendor office that previously sat on the 8W site.
Link confirmed that a Jimmy John's would make up part of the first-floor space along with other restaurants, including a full-service option, and "branded" retail. He said the building would include a co-working space for Wal-Mart vendors that don't open a full-time office in Bentonville.