The Quonset Huts has been a long-time home for several businesses in downtown Fayetteville. News of the proposed student complex was expected by some, and others were more surprised. Stephani Jungmeyer from Trailside Yoga said she’s known about this change for some time now.
"...Like over a year. So I actually started a couple of years ago, though, looking into what our future would be like, just because once the Arts Corridor was declared, and then the Ramble plans were announced, the writing was kind of on the wall," Jungmeyer said. "I knew that since I don't own the location where we currently are, I figured that it would probably be bought at some point. It's prime real estate. So, it certainly was not a surprise. And I feel really fortunate because I had actually planned ahead."
The plan was for Trailside Yoga to expand in the near future, but with the news around the development coming to light, Jungmeyer said people began reaching out, concerned that her business would be shuttering. But not every business owner at the Quonset Huts was as prepared. Kurt Delashmit from Gar Hole Records heard a few months ago from Denele Campbell, the landlord, that there was a potential sale.
"It's a multi layered thing. There's like the practical part, which is that I'm about to lose my office in the next however many months, which that space was really important to the development of the record label. Record labels aren't businesses that just immediately start making money, and keeping our overhead really low was crucial. That space just kind of fulfilled every need that we had at the time," Delashmit said. "It could continue fulfilling those needs for another couple of years, for sure. So practically, it's it's a bummer. But you know, I totally understand on that point. You know, everybody's always known that, you know, especially with all the different types of development going on in Fayetteville that it was kind of inevitable that it would sell. It's such a prime location."
Delashmit has yet to find a new space for his business. He said the Quonset Huts have been a value-add to Fayetteville locals, and future redevelopment in the city has made him apprehensive.
"There's like the emotional loss, too, of losing that space. The Quonset Huts buildings, I mean. It's meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people over the years. And then there's just the kind of general disappointment in the way that development is being managed in this town," Delashmit said. "I mean, the city is going to grow, nothing's gonna stop that. The university is going to continue to grow. This region is going to continue to be invested in, and developed as a hub for like technology based companies, and nothing's going to change that. And I guess, you know, the main thing I have to say about it is like let's start seriously thinking about how we manage these types of projects, because this this stuff is happening all over the country. The story of the small college town getting developed really quickly and becoming expensive and becoming hard to live in and eventually becoming a place that you can't afford anymore After however many years of living there is a super common one."
The city of Fayetteville’s Planning Commission recently voted to recommend keeping part of the alley where the Huts are located a public domain. She said people often get confused about who makes these decisions at the end of the day. The recommendation also includes keeping the alley right-of-way open to either foot traffic or vehicles.
Some Fayetteville locals may see this shift as a step in the right direction- for others, quite the opposite. In the meantime, Kurt said the best thing you can do is to support local businesses and be aware of what’s changing in your neighborhood.
You can find more on Gar Hole Records at this website, and more on Trailside Yoga here.
