Operators of an upcoming bike park in Bella Vista expect the 200-acre site to attract cyclists from all over the country.

The big picture: After years of cycling and trail networks gaining popularity in Northwest Arkansas, the Oz Trails bike park promises to offer downhill mountain biking and rollercoaster-like jumps for advanced cyclists and also be a cultural center for anyone who wants to enjoy the area, manager Gary Vernon told Axios.

• It will serve as a physical location for Oz Trails, a cycling organization that operates under the holding company of Walmart heirs Steuart and Tom Walton, Runway Group, which owns the park.

Zoom in: The park will be the first in the state with a chairlift — similar to some ski resorts — that can carry cyclists up to the top of a hill so they can have the energy to keep riding downhill all day.

• The lift will slow down for people to get on and off, lift operator Scott Crowell explained. While some ski resorts allow for biking in the summer, it is rare for a year-round park built for biking to include a lift.

What they're saying: "This was the missing link for all of the mountain biking that's been built in Arkansas. We haven't had a gravity park with a lift," Vernon said.

The intrigue: The lift and the park are not just for cyclists.

• People may use the lift to move around the park to enjoy the scenery, hang out with their beverage at the top of the hill, or attend an event hosted on the property. The park might even have lights during the holidays.
• The bike park will include hiking trails and other amenities like event space and a restaurant plus coffee and beer offerings. Exact plans are to be determined. Runway's Ropeswing Hospitality Group is on it.
• A bike shop will be on site, and visitors will find art across the property.

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The bike park and other recently purchased land offer some hope for the commercial sales tax in Bella Vista as it outgrows its former retirement community identity.

Why it matters: "We have these 550 miles of roads that have been around for 70 years, and we are not growing as quickly in the commercial tax base as other cities," city spokesperson Cassi Lapp told Axios. "So it is a struggle to maintain that because what used to be a road with a house on it is now a road with a neighborhood on it."

Flashback: Bella Vista is not even old enough to drink. It was incorporated as a bona fide city with a mayor and city council in 2006 after residents voted in favor of it. Cooper Communities established the property as a retirement and recreational community in 1965, forming the Property Owners Association.

• "When the development began, the property owners were primarily affluent retirees," the Encyclopedia of Arkansas states. "More recently, however, the demographics have changed. Younger couples and families are discovering that Bella Vista offers affordable housing and an active lifestyle all within a relatively short commuting distance to jobs in Rogers and Bentonville."

State of play: While a handful of restaurants and retail amenities exist, the city remains highly residential. Even back in 2018, a study estimated an annual $129 million in retail sales was leaving to nearby communities.

The latest: Bella Vista is finishing an update to its development codes that includes adding zoning districts for multifamily housing in a city made up almost entirely of single-family homes.

The intrigue: The city government controls less than most cities. It offers police and fire protections and maintains streets. It also operates a public library and emergency medical services.

• But it does not operate the sewer system, contracts out for water and trash collection, and does not run amenities like a community center or public parks. The Property Owners Association operates amenities such as fitness centers, golf courses, lakes and pools.

By the numbers: Annual housing permits hit more than 400 in 2020, more than 10 times as many as in 2013. They are not slowing down, rising to 636 permits in 2024 and already 349 during the first five months of 2025.

• The population grew about 15% from 2015 to 2023 to about 32,370 residents, according to the latest census estimates.

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Bella Vista has a leg up on outdoor recreation with its golf courses and seven lakes.

If you want to paint your Bella Vista home hot pink, take it up with Walton-backed company Blue Crane.

State of play: When Steuart and Tom Walton's real estate company purchased land from Cooper Communities last year, it also purchased developer rights for most of the city and now runs the Architectural Control Committee, Bella Vista's communications director Cassi Lapp explained.

Context: Bella Vista is notorious for its strict design standards, like banning white fences and requiring homes to be painted "earth tone" colors, thanks to the committee.

• "No updates or changes to share at the moment," Runway Group spokesperson Jack Pate told Axios.

What they're saying: "The developer rights were acquired as part of our comprehensive land acquisition in Bella Vista. These rights enable us to work more effectively with the POA, city, and community stakeholders as we develop plans that align with Bella Vista's tradition of connecting people to nature through outdoor recreation," according to a statement from Runway to Axios.

Flashback: Blue Crane announced in May 2024 that it had purchased about 2,700 acres in Bella Vista and Benton County, following a March deal for 54 acres for $34 million that included Sugar Creek Shopping Center. Axios later reported the company paid Cooper Communities $15.5 million for a 1,941-acre chunk of that land in north Bella Vista.

The latest: "We don't have development plans for the 2,700 acres," Pate told Axios in a statement. "As we've shared, our focus will be on outdoor recreation, hospitality, and real estate investments that honor Bella Vista's tradition of connecting people to nature."

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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that Blue Crane has no updates or changes to share at the moment (not that no changes are planned).