Infrastructure needs were identified as Northwest Arkansas’ top regional priority at the Northwest Arkansas Council’s annual meeting Thursday in Bentonville, with 55% of council members selecting the issue.
The needs discussed included transportation, wastewater capacity, workforce development and access to early-stage capital. The council’s chief executive officer, Nelson Peacock, also reviewed efforts to attract investors and help Northwest Arkansas startups connect with funding outside the region.
“We simply don’t have enough investors in Northwest Arkansas or in the state of Arkansas.” — Nelson Peacock
Since 2024, more than 200 venture capital firms have taken part in more than 1,500 meetings for due diligence through the council’s investor-access efforts, Peacock said. One in four companies participating in the program has made national or international connections, he said.
The council is working with the Walton Family Foundation and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to broaden access to venture capital. Peacock said the effort includes building a nationwide network of investors and bringing those investors to the region to meet with companies.
Health care projects reviewed
Peacock also highlighted health care construction and expansion projects across Northwest Arkansas. The projects include Alice Walton’s multistage specialty care campus, which has an investment of more than $1 billion. The first phase is scheduled to open in 2029.
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital is expanding in Springdale with an $82.7 million project.
- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is developing an 85,000-square-foot orthopedic and sports medicine hospital in Springdale.
- Highlands Oncology has invested $4 million in an expanded clinical trials suite and is building a second center in Rogers.
- Washington Regional Hospital opened a $3.1 million simulation training center.
Community Clinic also expanded women’s health services in Siloam Springs and opened another school-based clinic at Rogers Heritage High School, Peacock said. The projects were presented alongside the council’s broader discussion of the infrastructure and workforce capacity needed as the region grows.
